Maag Recycling is a private company specialising in the recycling of all types of waste materials. As an innovation-driven company, it continuously integrates new developments in waste management into its operations. OOS developed a functional mix of uses for the company with an unexpected reverse shopping experience.
In a city undergoing a transformation from industry to consumer society, the Maag Recycling project bucks the trend. While former production sites in Winterthur are increasingly being repurposed and urbanised, industrial activity remains central here – albeit in the opposite direction. Maag does not manufacture products, but recycles them: an urban reverse system for recovering valuable materials.
The functions of a waste collection point for the public and a warehouse for internal temporary storage were determined by operational and market considerations. Various additional uses were examined for the urban environment and the economic viability of the mixed use was assessed.
This resulted in five uses, all of which are directly linked to Maag Recycling: a recycling centre, a warehouse, a car park, a recreational car park and a workshop in an existing building on the perimeter.
The Maag recycling centre turns waste disposal into a tangible experience. Customers buy back their waste. First, they load their shopping trolleys with scrap, drive them to the recycling centre, where they follow a route to deposit their waste in the various green collection boxes.
