Who is responsible for maintaining the quality of the place?

The Swiss energy supply company Primeo Energie has been running an electricity museum at its headquarters in Münchenstein for many years, offering courses and activities for children. To mark its 125th anniversary in 2022, the company, which is organised as a cooperative, has renovated the museum building and turned it into a discovery centre. A science centre has also been added to the visitor attractions. The two buildings and another building for workshops are linked by an outdoor space made of reclaimed or surplus paving stones.

Does the place serve its purpose?

With Primeo Energie Kosmos, the energy company’s substantial educational outreach initiative, Primeo Energie aims to make scientific phenomena relating to climate and energy both real and understandable. To lead the way by setting a good example, the company has designed both the new science centre building and the outdoor area with materials that are suitable for reuse. The outdoor space not only serves as an area for gathering and circulation, but also as an illustrative example of climate-friendly construction.

Are negative impacts on the environment minimised?

Around 70 per cent of the natural stone and precast concrete pavers used in the outdoor areas are reused, with the remainder coming from warehouse stock and production output with minor defects. The paving stones come from Reinach, Therwil or Arlesheim, so they are regional. Transport distances were short, and the stones were delivered directly from the source to the site, without intermediate storage. Climate-friendly construction is about reducing energy and carbon emissions, but also about saving raw materials.

Are the construction materials and methods durable, require little maintenance, and maintain or even enhance the place’s value?

While master builders of the past often used materials several times, this practice has been lost with mass production and the cheaper materials it entails. In our part of the world, circular construction is a phenomenon that needs to be relearned. We often do not know how big the impact of the closed-loop economy really is over the whole life cycle of construction projects. That is why pioneering projects like this one in Münchenstein are usually also research projects.

Does the place foster community?

Aimed primarily at school classes, the outreach programme builds community through shared experiences. The material also helps to raise awareness among children and young people of the issues that their generation needs to tackle and change together. The opportunities to learn and experience thus promote collective thought and action in the immediate and wider environment.

Was the place thoroughly analysed prior to the intervention?

In 2018, the landscape architecture firm Bryum was commissioned by Primeo Energie to develop a master plan for the open space on the Münchenstein site, with the direct commission for the open space between the new visitor centre and the existing museum following later. The landscape architects planned the 1,300-square-metre space with a circular economy in mind. They envisaged a striped pattern for the ground, which could be realised in different ways depending on the existing paving. This type of planning and implementation requires flexible thinking and action and differs fundamentally from conventional planning.

Is the use compatible with ecological principles?

The landscape architects from Basel chose oaks, elms and birches for the grounds. These are trees that are well suited to the site and its soil conditions, and that can survive with little water. The transition from the square to the neighbouring banks of the river Birs has been planted with vegetation typical of the area.

Does the place have an atmospheric impact on the beholder?

The concept of striped paving made of different stones is an eye-catcher. The combination of stone and concrete pavers is also surprising. The varied salvaged materials are all laid with precision. The combination of variety and a strict, linear pattern is reminiscent of a carpet – here made of mineral rather than textile materials. Together with the plants, the carpet of stones gives the place a cosy and inviting feel.