Case Study: Schweingruber Zulauf Landschaftsarchitekten achieves award-winning, lizard-friendly revitalization of Zurich’s Lettenviadukt with VectorWorks

Schweingruber Zulauf Landschaftsarchitekten - Customer Case Study

Zurich-based Schweingruber Zulauf Landschaftsarchitekten, known for inventive, site-specific landscape work, was commissioned to transform the abandoned two-kilometer Lettenviadukt railway into a public promenade with shops. The challenge was complex: integrate the live rail above, nearby infrastructure and monument-preservation requirements, overcome neighborhood resistance, and preserve an unexpected ecological feature—the viaduct’s thriving lizard population—while creating a usable, attractive public space.

Working with architects EM2N, the team reused railroad materials (concrete, stainless steel, gravel) and introduced scaled elements and parallel surfaces so people and lizards each have their own space, supported by physical mockups to satisfy the Office for Monument Preservation. Using Vectorworks CAD for modular design and coordination saved time and costs; Phase I (2008–2010, ~2M CHF) revitalized the area, won the Golden Hase award, is well used for both commute and leisure, and helped catalyze broader neighborhood renewal.

Schweingruber Zulauf Landschaftsarchitekten

Lukas Schweingruber

Co-founder and Partner