Award for General-Guisan-Strasse: Interdisciplinary collaboration shapes a new urban space in Zug

Every ten years, the Building Control Office of the Canton of Zug and the BauForum Zug recognise outstanding projects in architecture, landscape design and infrastructure. In 2026, an independent expert jury assessed 105 submissions and selected ten projects for distinction, including Gruner’s redevelopment of General-Guisan-Strasse.

The jury described the project as a “bridge between disciplines”. This interdisciplinary approach was at the heart of Gruner’s work. Led by René Bieri (Infrastructure Central Switzerland), specialists from across the company worked together to develop solutions for the project's complex requirements. Employees contributed expertise in road construction, civil and structural engineering, environmental engineering and construction management.

Infrastructure design in Central Switzerland: Transforming a traffic corridor into a connected urban space 

Until construction began in mid-2023, General-Guisan-Strasse ran through a depressed section beneath a railway bridge in an area with a high groundwater table. A large concrete trough protected the road from flooding, but required extensive maintenance.

The challenge was to fill in the trough and raise the road to the level of the surrounding neighbourhoods without causing excessive disruption to traffic or local residents. At the same time, a new access route had to be provided for an existing underground car park, works had to be carried out below the groundwater level, numerous utility networks had to be accommodated, and construction waste required appropriate management and disposal. As part of a comparative options study, the project team developed a new solution for the underground car park access in the area of the former railway loop.

Civil engineering, environment and urban space designed as one

The close cooperation between the various disciplines made it possible not only to modernise the technical infrastructure but also to significantly enhance the quality of the urban space.

Along a stretch of approximately 500 metres, new cycleways and pedestrian routes were created, together with fully accessible bus stops, landscaped green areas, seating facilities and underground waste collection systems. Twenty-three new plane trees, along with additional green and infiltration areas, have improved both the attractiveness of the area and the local urban climate. A previously culverted stream was also brought back to the surface and restored.

The construction works were further utilised to install infrastructure for renewable energy networks. As a result, the Circulago heating and cooling network could be fully connected.

Interdisciplinary collaboration as the key to complex infrastructure projects

Gruner supported the redevelopment of General-Guisan-Strasse from the initial concept and design stages through detailed engineering, tendering, construction and project completion.

General-Guisan-Strasse demonstrates the value that interdisciplinary collaboration brings to complex infrastructure projects. Technical, environmental and urban design requirements were considered together from an early stage, rather than being addressed in isolation.

The result is a solution in which infrastructure, urban nature and public space work seamlessly together. What was once a traffic corridor that divided the surrounding area has been transformed into a cohesive urban space that connects communities and enhances the city of Zug.