Rössli Stäfa Cultural Centre
Decarbonizing a historic cultural landmark
The Rössli Stäfa is a listed, multi-purpose building and an important cultural hub for the Lake Zurich region. The building faced high energy consumption, an ageing natural gas heating system, and inefficient HVAC operation. The challenge was to significantly reduce emissions and improve energy performance while respecting heritage protection requirements and maintaining the building's diverse function.
Why this building
Rössli Stäfa is a landmark building at the heart of village life and a well-known cultural venue for theatre, concerts, community events, businesses, and residents. The project demonstrates how historic mixed-use buildings can be decarbonized while preserving their cultural significance. It also creates opportunities to generate and share learnings for similar heritage buildings throughout Switzerland.
Frictions encountered
Reconciling ambitious energy improvements with heritage and site protection requirements.
Replacing the existing natural gas heating system in a historic building.
Managing a complex building with cultural, commercial, hospitality, and residential uses under one roof.
Identifying retrofit solutions for ageing HVAC systems while maintaining uninterrupted operation.
Evaluating photovoltaic integration under heritage protection constraints.
Measures planned/ implemented
Replacement of fossil heating with a renewable heating solution.
HVAC optimization and demand-based controls.
Ventilation system upgrades.
Partial building envelope improvements.
Hydraulic balancing.
Operational energy optimization.
Evaluation of rooftop photovoltaics
Co-benefits
The project improves comfort, air quality, and building performance for visitors, tenants, residents, and cultural users alike. Beyond energy savings, it helps preserve an important community landmark and serves as a living learning environment for apprentices developing practical decarbonization solutions.
