The Ricola Kräuterzentrum

The new Ricola Kräuterzentrum is a central location for processing these herbs from the Swiss mountains.

The forward-looking construction project was completed by renowned Basel architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and the company Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH.

Following 16 months of construction, the new Ricola Kräuterzentrum, which is directly adjacent to the production facility in Laufen, entered into operation at the beginning of May 2014. The center will clean, dry, cut, store and mix 1,400,000 kilograms of fresh herbs every year at a central location to create the unique Ricola herb blend that is the vital ingredient of all Ricola products.

The building, which has a solid rammed earth facade, is over 100 meters long, around 11 meters high and was designed by Herzog & de Meuron. This is the seventh project to be completed by the Basel-based architecture firm for Ricola. The company Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH was brought in for the loam facade.

Martin Rauch, the company's founder and managing director, is Europe's leading expert in loam construction techniques. Europe's biggest loam building now stands in Laufen. Kundert Planer AG was responsible for the planning of the new Kräuterzentrum, and the construction work was managed by the general contractor Priora AG.

Pierre de Meuron, Senior Partner, Herzog & de Meuron, commented on the earth building: „As an architect you not only have to take specifications into account but also the place where the building is to be located. The materials used to build the shell of the Kräuterzentrum were sourced from a radius of eight to ten kilometers. The building is made out of the heritage on which it stands. ”The Kräuterzentrum was built using loam and earth from the local Laufen valley, "thereby reinforcing traditional values while at the same time taking a forward-looking approach with a sustainable construction method," said Martin Rauch, managing director of the company Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH.

The sustainable construction of the Kräuterzentrum is underlined by the energy-friendly heating system and the rammed earth elements used for the facade, which help to stabilize the temperature and humidity levels inside the building. Lukas Richterich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ricola Familienholding AG, commented in his address that the forward-looking values held by the family firm had been reflected in the new center.