Biel: «Centre Esplanade» completed
A development with 100 apartments and hotel rooms as well as 10,400 office and commercial spaces has been built on one of the largest city squares in Switzerland.
With the «Centre Esplanade», a city quarter project has been completed in the center of Biel. The project on Place de l'Esplanade, one of the largest squares in Switzerland, combines living, working, hotels, services and retirement homes in a small space and is intended to help revitalize the city centre.
In particular, 102 rental apartments have been built just a few steps away from the central square. The complex also includes offices as well as stores and restaurants on the first floor. The mix of uses also includes the Courtyard by Marriott Biel with 104 rooms. The hotel expands the offer for business travelers and guests attending events in Biel. The quarter is complemented by the Résidence du Ruschli with 44 rooms for assisted living for senior citizens.
The Centre Esplanade offers a total of around 10,400 square meters of office and commercial space for companies, service providers and doctors. There is a parking garage under the site for residents and employees of the commercial and office premises. The adjacent public parking garage is directly connected.
All apartments let
Architecturally, the square is characterized by an approximately 160 m long façade with a continuous arcade along the Esplanade Kongresshaus 1-11 building complex. Green inner courtyards and traffic-calmed areas complete the concept.
Construction began in winter 2019/2020 and the project was implemented in several stages. Alpine Immobilien reports that the apartments are now fully let. There is good demand for the office and commercial space and the hotel is reporting «stable occupancy».
The entire development is connected to the heating network. A photovoltaic system is installed on the roof.
