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Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon

ABBElectrical engineering companiesIndustrial company stubsLocomotive manufacturers of SwitzerlandManufacturing companies based in Zürich
Manufacturing companies established in 1876Swiss companies established in 1876Use American English from February 2019Use mdy dates from February 2019
Maschinenfabr Oerlikon 1930
Maschinenfabr Oerlikon 1930

Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was a Swiss engineering company based in the Zürich district of Oerlikon known for the early development of electric locomotives. It was founded in 1876 by the industrialist Peter Emil Huber-Werdmüller, and occupied a large site immediately to the west of Oerlikon railway station. In 1906 the armaments business was demerged to form Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, which evolved into the technology company OC Oerlikon and the armaments company Rheinmetall Air Defence (formerly Oerlikon Contraves). In 1967 Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was taken over by Brown, Boveri & Cie, which in 1988 merged with ASEA to form ABB Group. The site of the company's works has been redeveloped, including the innovative public MFO-Park. In the second decade of the 21st century, a project was initiated to expand Oerlikon railway station, with the provision of two additional platform tracks on north-western side of the station. This affected the site of the former office building of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, dating from the late 19th century and now a restaurant complex known as Gleis 9. Because of its cultural importance to the region, plans to demolish the building were rejected, and instead the 6,200-tonne (6,800-ton) building was moved 60 meters (200 ft) to the west on specially laid tracks. The move took place in May 2012, and took 19 hours.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon
Emil-Oprecht-Strasse, Zurich Oerlikon

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N 47.4125 ° E 8.541 °
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Emil-Oprecht-Strasse

Emil-Oprecht-Strasse
8052 Zurich, Oerlikon
Zurich, Switzerland
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Maschinenfabr Oerlikon 1930
Maschinenfabr Oerlikon 1930
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MFO-Park
MFO-Park

The MFO-Park is a public park in the Oerlikon quarter of the Swiss city of Zürich. The area to the north of Zürich Oerlikon railway station was once home to the extensive works of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO), as site that has now been redeveloped as Neu Oerlikon. As part of that redevelopment, four new parks were created, including the MFO-Park, which was created on the footprint of one of MFO's buildings. The project was designed by the architects Burckhardt + Partner, landscape architects Raderschallpartner and structural engineers Basler & Hofmann AG.The park is characterized by its modern and unusual design. The large “Park-Haus” is a double-walled steel-framed construction, 100 m (330 ft) in length, 35 m (115 ft) in width and 17 m (56 ft) high, reminiscent of a conservatory without glass. It is covered by a trellis (or treillage) and covered with climbing plants, resulting in a space that is filled by ever changing light, shadow and smells. The large hall space is broken up by four plant-covered wire chalices. The water basin planted with irises is located in a sunken area that is floored with recycled glass. The spaces between the double walls contain staircases, linking to balconies and platforms at different levels, including a sun deck high up on the roof that offers views over northern Zürich.The MFO-Park accommodates a number of different activities. The facility is suitable for sport and games, for meetings of all kinds, or events such as film screenings, concerts and theatrical performances – all with a baroque backdrop of hedges. Small silent garden rooms with a view into the hall are created in the spaces between the walls, just like opera boxes.The foundation stone was laid in autumn 2001 and the MFO-Park was inaugurated in summer 2002. As originally planned, there was intended to be a second phase which would feature an area with plant-covered pillars in front of the south side of the hall. This phase has not yet been implemented, and the four-story brick building which was originally intended for demolition to make space for this will continue to be used for the time being.The garden has received the following awards: European Garden Award in the category of "Most Innovative Contemporary Park or Garden", awarded by the European Garden Heritage Network EGHN 2010 Award for good architecture in the Zürich canton 2006 - Recognition Award for good architecture from the City of Zürich 2006 2004: MAX on top Vienna, free space 02, 2nd place 2004 Play & Leisure Award Friedrichshafen 2004 BDLA Prize (Association of German Landscape Architects) 2003 - Appreciation Public design-award 2003