Bischoff Textil

History: In contrast to most St.Gallen textile companies, which were founded during the “embroidery boom”, Bischoff Textil AG was only founded in 1927, at a time when bonuses were offered for the decommissioning of existing embroidery machines. This was after the boom in the St.Gallen embroidery industry, which lasted from the late 1860s until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The bold anti-cyclical business strategy proved its worth, as Bischoff Textil still makes a name for itself on the global markets today with embroideries for lingerie and women's outerwear of the highest design and quality. Their work is also used for medical products and technical textiles. Architecture: The challenge for the architects lay in the unusual shape of the site, which stipulated a maximum length of 135 m with a minimum width of 22.5 m. The building had to meet the requirements of both an embroidery business and an expanding company administration center. The implementation by architect Albert Bayer resulted in a nine-storey building with an additional roof level and an adjoining Schedbau, which has a column-free steel girder construction to house the embroidery machines. The shed-like structure of the Schedbau allows for imaginative lighting by capturing daylight from above and at right angles to the side walls. The U-shaped ribbon windows ensure that the workrooms are evenly lit despite the dense development of the neighboring properties. Stylistically derived from classical modernism, the high-rise building impresses with its elongated form, strikingly structured window fronts and recessed top floor. The building's depth of 13 meters was bridged using the then pioneering prestressed concrete method. In 2016, almost six decades after its construction, the building was carefully renovated and characteristic building elements such as the graphic muntin division of the windows were restored. At the same time, an energy-efficient refurbishment was carried out. Today's use: The building still serves as the headquarters of Bischoff Textil AG. In addition to the management and the development and design department, it houses the largest private embroidery archive in Switzerland. This serves as a source of inspiration both for the company's own designers and for the couturiers of international fashion houses. As production now takes place in Diepoldsau in the Rhine Valley and in the company's own factories abroad, the former machine halls and individual floors in the high-rise building have been rented out to external companies. The in-house factory store offers all TEXTILE enthusiasts valuable products for their own use, including St.Gallen embroidery, exquisite gift items, a wealth of different fabrics and much more.