Central malley – the heart of the west of lausanne

The Central Malley project – the first stage in the redevelopment of the brownfield site of Malley – is located in the municipalities of Prilly and Renens close to Malley ice rink and Malley Lumières shopping centre. To the south of the new Prilly-Malley suburban train station, Central Malley connects the m1 metro line, the future t1 tram line and the future improved bus lines. A high-performance public transport network that fosters soft mobility.

In this future eco-district with enormous development potential, Central Malley will provide residential apartments, office space and commercial units to become the vibrant heart of a completely new urban centre. Designed to meet environmental challenges, the project is an integral part of the spatial development plan being implemented by the conurbation featuring a set of ambitious architectural designs with an emphasis on new ways of living. The buildings will provide a total area of 42,200m2 of which 23,700m2 will be used for office space, 14,700m2 for apartments and 3,800m2 for commercial units.

MORE THAN JUST A GATEWAY TO WEST LAUSANNE – A NEW DESTINATION.

Central malley in figures

  • 42 200 m2 of commercial units, office space and residential apartments
  • 14 700 m2 de logements of apartments with 1.5 to 5.5 rooms, or around 150 units
  • 23,700m2 of office space
  • 3,800m2 of commercial unit space
  • Green, pleasant public space
  • An extensive and improved public transport network

To provide its users with a sustainable living and working environment, Central Malley is adopting an overall environmentally friendly approach. The aim is to significantly reduce the impact of construction and operation on the environment.

In a high-density area, SBB Real Estate is developing a mixed project combining residential accommodation, office space and commercial units which aims to ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the buildings. Just a few minutes from Lausanne city centre, the site has good access to the public transport network. Central Malley is also the first development project in French-speaking Switzerland certified as a ‘2000-Watt Site’.

A PIONEERING ECO-DISTRICT BASED ON EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STANDARDS.

The ‘2000-Watt Site’ certificate is an award presented to residential areas that deploy resources sustainably to construct and use buildings and for planning the mobility solutions required.

www.2000watt.swiss

The ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen’ (DGNB) certificate covers a building’s full life cycle. It takes account of its environmental, economic and socio-cultural characteristics based on five specific criteria: impact on the local environment, costs, impact on health, technical qualities and quality management of the planning stages.

www.dgnb.de

A meeting place between the sports centre and the future park in the south of the area, the public space at the heart of Central Malley will ensure synergy in the future district. Two new landmark buildings on either side will add vibrancy to the area, and make a strong architectural impact on the landscape.

Each reinterpreting Malley’s rich industrial past in their own way, they intensify the volumes, perspectives and materials to make the location stand out, all while meeting different functional needs. Situated on the ground floor, the commercial units are directly connected to the public space and its users, with restaurants, a brewery, bar, supermarket, bank, hairdresser’s, kiosk or wine bar. On the floors above, there is completely modular office space supplemented on some floors by urban gardens, and a wide range of 1.5 to 5.5-room apartments.

20TH CENTURY – INDUSTRIAL BEGINNINGS

Attracted by the topography of the Malley valley, the Lausanne authorities developed the Lausanne-Renens tramway stop in 1903, the Lausanne gas works and various other manufacturing activities here. ©notrehistoire.ch

1920s – THE ARRIVAL OF RAIL

In 1922, the construction of the Galicien viaduct, a railway bridge linking Sébeillon railway station with Renens, made it easier to transport goods to Lausanne transforming the north of the district. The railway became a major asset for the area.

1940s – THE DISTRICT’S GOLDEN AGE

The glorious 1930s marked a turning point in the urbanisation of the area. In 1945, the city of Lausanne built its abattoirs here which led to the construction of lots of housing in the district and the opening of the famous Café des Bouchers, a legendary bistro which is still open today.

1960s – THE IMPACT OF EXPO 64

As part of the Swiss National Exhibition in 1964, Malley and the Flon valley, which were turned into the ‘Valley of Youth’ for the event, obtained new road infrastructure, greatly improving access to Malley.©Claude-André Fradel

1970s – THE START OF REDEVELOPMENT

Replacing the former coal gas works, a natural gas storage facility was built in the 1970s. Having become a prominent feature in the area, this spherical tank will be a landmark in the future park in the south of the site. Part of the former gas works became home to the Kléber-Méleau theatre in 1979.

1980s – SPORTS FACILITIES

In 1984, the small factories and warehouses in the north of the district were replaced by the ‘cauldron’ of the Malley Intercommunal Ice Centre. The original ice rink closed in 2017 and reopened its doors in 2019 next to the sports centre and hosted the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

2000s – REGENERATION

Malley entered a new era at the turn of the millennium. The Malley Lumières complex – a shopping mall, cinema and sports centre – was built in 2001, followed by the Malley Event Center in 2007 and the official opening of the SBB railway station in 2012 which sped up the transformation of the former industrial site into a district fit for the future.

TODAY – A NEXT-GENERATION DISTRICT

The SBB stop Prilly-Malley is at the heart of the overall plan to regenerate the Malley valley. A major transformation marked by a strong commitment from the cantonal and municipal authorities to soft mobility and social diversity.