Schlössli Schönegg becomes an innovation campus
A new building is to be added to the historic headquarters of the Axon Active Group. The innovative Axon Campus will provide around 150 jobs and is likely to attract attention beyond Switzerland.
The historic Schlössli Schönegg and its chalet on the Wilhelmshöhe in Lucerne have belonged to Stefan Muff, the main shareholder of the Axon Active Group, since 1998. Together with his brother Bruno, Muff renovated the building, which at the time was in great need of renovation, in close consultation with the monument preservation authorities. It then served as the headquarters of Endoxon AG, which developed technologies for digital maps and was sold to Google in 2006. Since 2008, the “Schlössli” has been the headquarters of the Axon Active Group, which is strategically positioned in the field of digital transformation. Axon deals with complex big data solutions for globally operating companies as well as digital ecosystems for diverse industries. Today, the group has over 750 employees at 18 locations around the globe. Currently, 50 people work at the headquarters – and the number is growing rapidly.
Muff had great visions for the Schönegg castle from the very beginning. He already planned for extensions when he bought the building. Today, the building can no longer meet the future requirements as a centre for providing digital services and for the planned research activities and the newly developed “DeepWorking” operating concept. For this reason, the newly initiated project envisages a supplementary new building as the “Axon Campus”, which is to serve as an innovation laboratory. This is intended to promote the interdisciplinary cooperation of various interest groups and ideas. The campus brings together stakeholders from education, politics, public authorities and business and lets them participate in forward-looking forms of society and business. At the same time, innovations can be experienced and tested in digital ecosystems. The environment is also intended to offer ideal conditions for start-ups, which is why the project has also been reported as the “Silicon Valley of Central Switzerland”.
To meet the demands of a modern campus, the future space must be open, flexible and multifunctional. A gross floor area of 1500 square metres is planned with about 150 workplaces. The project also includes a high-quality canteen with a production kitchen and a fully digital and multifunctional auditorium for 120 people with an adjoining bar area. The new building will be adapted to the special local conditions and the resulting hazard situation due to possible landslides and rock falls. Comprehensive slope protection is guaranteed by the new building. The changing mobility requirements are also taken into account: by means of rented parking spaces on the Gibraltarstrasse level and the installation of e-mobility compliant parking and bicycle spaces in the new building, which is estimated at 15 million Swiss francs. The approval process is still underway. Occupation is expected in 2025 at the earliest.
Thanks to the project by the renowned architectural firm of Daniele Marques from Lucerne, the Wilhelmshöhe place of power will increasingly become a house of encounter and digital transformation. Muff envisions the place developing into a holistic innovation location. A possible opening of the rooms at weekends for educational institutions or other curated events is conceivable.