Penzel Valier Completes ETH Zurich's 4,488 m² Hönggerberg Data Center

Penzel Valier has delivered a 4,488-square-metre data center for ETH Zurich on the Hönggerberg campus, with completion dated 2026. Cornelia Steiner served as lead architect, and Siplan AG supplied the building's manufacturer components.

The Hönggerberg Data Center, known as HRZ, consolidates the university's digital infrastructure into a single integrated building. It houses the server, storage and communication systems of ETH Zurich's IT Services alongside the systems of various academic departments.

How does the building fit ETH's digital strategy?

According to the architects, the HRZ complements the data centers on ETH's Central Campus within the university's long-term digital strategy. The new facility replaces several dispersed, outdated server locations across the campus.

Penzel Valier describes the project as a building "in which structure, building services, and design were conceived together from the outset." That integrated approach shaped a project where the technical demands of a data center — dense services, heavy structural loads, strict climate control — drove the architectural concept rather than following it.

The building is also designed for future expansion. As ETH Zurich's research computing needs grow, the HRZ can extend its capacity without a second consolidation project.

Who delivered the project?

The project team breaks down as follows:

• Architect: Penzel Valier, with lead architect Cornelia Steiner
• Client: ETH Zurich
• Area: 4,488 m²
• Year: 2026
• Manufacturer: Siplan AG
• Photographs: Peter Tillessen, Bruno Augsburger, Penzel Valier

Penzel Valier is a Swiss practice with a track record in technically demanding building types. The HRZ adds a computing infrastructure project to a portfolio that spans educational and civic work.

What does consolidation mean for the campus?

Replacing dispersed, outdated facilities with one purpose-built data center reduces the operational complexity of running legacy server rooms across multiple sites. For a university of ETH Zurich's scale — where research computing loads continue to climb — a single expandable facility positions the Hönggerberg campus to absorb future demand in computing, storage and network capacity.