High-rise buildings in Zurich

Zurich silhouette in the evening sun (2014)

The list of high-rise buildings in Zurich performs in Zurich existing high-rise buildings on from a structural height of 40 meters. Church towers and technical structures are not included. The cityscape of Zurich is not strongly characterized by high-rise buildings.

Statutory Regulations

Article 9 of the municipal building code limits the construction of high-rise buildings to areas in the west and north of the city. In the industrial area , in Altstetten and in the center of Oerlikon buildings are admitted to 80 meters in height (high-rise building area I). In the adjacent high-rise areas II and III, an upper limit of 40 meters applies.

In the canton of Zurich , the cantonal planning and building law regulates that buildings with a facade height of more than 25 m are considered high-rise buildings (Section 282). By law, they must be structurally profitable and architecturally designed with particular care. The same utilization rates apply to high-rise buildings as to low- rise buildings, which is why the prescribed open spaces for high-rise buildings are correspondingly large.

history

Predecessor to the 1930s

While high-rise buildings were already being built in American cities towards the end of the 19th century, this development did not begin in Zurich until the 1930s. For a long time, houses with more than six floors were banned in Zurich because the ladders of the fire brigade couldn't reach any further.

The construction of the Wipkingen parish hall from 1930 to 1932 by Hans Vogelsanger and Albert Maurer was therefore a novelty for Zurich. However, a high-rise for the church only counts to a limited extent as a high-rise, after all, churches have always been built high. A short time later, in 1934/35, the cantonal administration building of Walche was built by the Pfister brothers - as a state building, it was also a high-rise from an architectural point of view. Both buildings, the Wipkingen parish hall and the Walcheturm, are also located on mountain slopes. This makes the buildings, which are not very tall anyway, appear even smaller.

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  Tower of the parish hall in Wipkingen

• 

  The Walche in Zurich

First boom phase from 1960

The first high-rise buildings in the city of Zurich are the two high-rise buildings built in 1952 by the then city architect Albert Heinrich Steiner , the first high-rise residential buildings in Zurich in the Heiligfeld settlement on the corner of Letzigraben and Badenerstrasse. Around the same time, the “Bastei” commercial buildings by Werner Stücheli and Cityhaus on Sihlporte by Heinrich Oeschger (1955) were built in the city center. A high-rise boom then set in in the 1960s . Living in a high-rise was considered modern, and an apartment in a high-rise was a kind of status symbol. After the Lochergut housing estate was completed in 1966, the media reported on living in the high-rise. A few years later the Hardau skyscrapers were completed.

The enthusiasm for high-rise buildings decreased more and more in the following years; the Hardau was literally sluggish. The skyscraper at Schanzenbrücke was one of the last to be approved before a popular initiative in 1984 put an end to skyscraper construction in the city center.

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  Hardau and industrial quarter

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  Lochergut housing estate

Second boom phase after the turn of the millennium

Towards the year 2000 the ban was relaxed more and more. A trend reversal occurred: new high-rise buildings were planned and built again. The popular initiative “40 meters are enough”, which wanted to reduce both the maximum construction height and the high-rise area, was clearly rejected at the ballot box on November 29, 2009. Since then, around a dozen skyscrapers have been built in Zurich West and in the Leutschenbach district, including the Prime Tower , which was the tallest building in Switzerland from 2011 to 2015.

List of existing high-rise buildings

	Surname	Location ( city ​​district )	Height in m	Full floors	Construction year	Architects	Remarks	photo
01.	Prime Tower	Hardstrasse 201 (District 5) ( location )	126	36	2011	Gigon / Guyer	2011–2015 tallest building in Switzerland.
02.	Swissmill grain silo	Sihlquai 306 (District 5) ( location )	118	-	2016	Harder Haas partner
03.	Hardau 1	Bullingerstrasse 73 (District 4) ( location )	95.4	33	1978	Max P. Kollbrunner	According to other sources also 93m.
04th	Sunrise Tower	Hagenholzstrasse 20–22 (District 11) ( location )	88	26th	2005	Laundry Wüst / Max Dudler
05.	Hardau 2	Bullingerstrasse 62 (District 4) ( location )	86	30th	1978	Max P. Kollbrunner
06th	Swissôtel high-rise	Schulstrasse 44 (District 11) ( location )	85	32	1972	Fred A. Widmer	On February 14, 1988, a major fire broke out in the restaurant at the top of the building. The accident killed 6 people and caused damage to buildings amounting to 7.8 million Swiss francs.
07th	Mobimo Tower	Turbinenstrasse 18-20 (district 5) ( location )	81	24	2011	Diener & Diener Architects
08th.	Andreasturm	Andreasstrasse (District 11) ( location )	80	22nd	2018	Gigon / Guyer
08th.	Volcano	Vulkanstrasse (District 9) ( location )	80	26th	2018	Dominique Perrault
08th.	" Hard Turm Park " skyscraper	Pfingstweidstrasse 106 (District 5) ( Location )	80	24	2014	Gmür & Geschwentner Architects
08th.	WestLink Tower	Vulkanplatz (District 9) ( location )	80	21st	2017	Burkard Meyer
012.	Hardau 3	Bullingerstrasse (District 4) ( location )	78	27	1978	Max P. Kollbrunner
013.	Zollly	Turbinenstrasse 60 (District 5) ( location )	77	23	2014	Meili Peter Architects
014th	Toni area	Corner of Pfingstweid- / Duttweilerstrasse (District 5) ( location )	75	22nd	1977	?	From 1977 to 1999 the largest milk processing company in Europe was rebuilt in 2014 (architects were Mathias Müller and Daniel Niggli from EM2N )
015th	Migros high-rise	Limmatstrasse 152 (District 5) ( location )	74	20th	1981	S + M architects	The entire complex (cadastre IQ6405) is recorded in the inventory of art and cultural-historical protected objects of municipal importance; the Migros high-rise has been inventoried, the Sihlquai 151/153 property from 1930 is under protection.
016.	Hardau 4	Bullingerstrasse (District 4) ( location )	72	23	1978	Max P. Kollbrunner
016.	Löwenbräu area	Limmatstrasse 268 (District 5) ( location )	70	21st	2013	Mike Guyer and Roman Züst
016.	Werd high-rise	Werdstrasse 75 (District 4) ( location )	70	18th	1975	AF Sauter and A. Dirler
016.	High-rise bed building at Triemli City Hospital	Birmensdorferstrasse 497 (District 3) ( Location )	70	18th	1970	Architectural association Ernst Schindler , Rudolf Joss , Helmut Rauber , Roland Rohn , Rolf Hässig and Erwin Müller
019th	Hotel Marriott	Neumühlequai 42 (District 6) ( location )	66	19th	1973	?
020th	Labitzke area	Hohlstrasse / Albulastrasse (District 9) ( location )	64	20th	2018	Gigon / Guyer
020th	SRF high-rise	Fernsehstrasse 2 (District 11) ( location )	64	?	1965-1972	?
022nd	SkyKey Andreaspark	Hagenholzstrasse 60 (District 11) ( location )	63	18th	2014	Theo Hotz
023.	Lochergut housing estate	Corner of Badenerstrasse / Seebahnstrasse (District 4) ( location )	62	21st	1966	Karl Flatz	The best-known tenant in the Lochergut was Max Frisch , who owned an apartment on the top floor.
024.	Escher terraces	Hardturmstrasse 5 (District 5) ( location )	60	19th	2014	e2a Eckert Eckert Architects AG
024.	Swisscom Tower	Hardturmstrasse 3 (District 5) ( location )	60	15th	1971	?
024.	The Metropolitans (East)	Schärenmoosstrasse 78 (District 11) ( location )	60	19th	2015	Baumschlager Eberle
024.	The Metropolitans (West)	Schärenmoosstrasse 76 (District 11) ( location )	60	19th	2015	Baumschlager Eberle
024.	MainTower	Thurgauerstrasse 36/38 (District 11) ( location )	60	17th	2012	Max Dudler Architekten AG and WW Architekten SIA AG
024	Sihlweid settlement (three high-rise buildings)	Leimbachstrasse 215 & Sihlweidstrasse 1 (District 2) ( location )	approx. 60	19 & 17	1970s	?	Were completely renovated in 2013
029	High-rise beds at the University Hospital Zurich	Rämistrasse 100 (District 7) ( location )	59	?	?	?
030th	Personnel tower at the University Hospital Zurich	Plattenstrasse 10 (District 7) ( location )	57	17th	1959	Jacob doubt
030th	Grünau high-rise	Grünauring 20 (District 9) ( location )	57	20th	1975	Robert Schmid
032.	Leutschen Tower	Leutschenbachstrasse 50 (District 11) ( location )	56	19th	2011	Bétrix & Consolascio Architects
033.	Europaallee Zurich , construction site F	Gustav-Gull-Platz / Europaallee (District 4) ( location )	53	?	2018	Boltshauser Architects
033.	Migros Herdern	Pfingstweidstrasse 101 (District 5) ( Location )	52	17th	1970	Hans Vogelsanger	The Herdern administration and operations building received the award for good buildings from the city of Zurich in 1965 as one of 13 buildings from the period 1961 to 1965. The entire complex (cadastre IQ6998) has been included in the inventory of art and cultural-historical objects of municipal importance since 1993 ; namely the high-rise, the operations center and the car ramp.
033.	Skyscraper Obsidian	Hohlstrasse 614 (District 9) ( location )	52	15th	2005	Baumschlager Eberle
034.	Skyscraper to the palm tree	Bleicherweg 33 (district 2) ( location )	50	14th	1964	Max Ernst Haefeli , Werner Max Moser and Rudolf Steiger	The name comes from the previous building, a villa completed in 1837 by the architect Hans Conrad Stadler with a large and lush garden.
034.	Skyscraper to the Schanzenbrücke	Stockerstrasse 64 (District 2) ( location )	50	13	1989	Karl Steiner
034	Vertex	Thurgauerstrasse 30/32 (District 11) ( location )	50	14th	2013	?
034	WestLink Connex	Vulkanplatz (District 9) ( location )	50	15th	2013	atelier ww architects
034	Business Center Andreaspark	Hagenholzstrasse 56 (District 11) ( location )	50	13	2011	Theo Hotz
034	New ward building at Triemli City Hospital	Birmensdorferstrasse 497 (District 3) ( Location )	50	14th	2016	Aeschlimann Hasler Partner Architects
034	"Airgate"	Thurgauerstrasse 40 (District 11) ( location )	50	12	1979	?
040	Housing estate Letzibach D	Hohlstrasse (District 5) ( location )	47	15th	2015	Loeliger Strub architecture
040	Bourquin area	Luggwegstrasse / Albulastrasse (District 9) ( location )	47	14th	2010	?
041	SIA high-rise	Selnaustrasse 16 (District 1) ( location )	46	13	1970	Hans von Meyenburg
042	Skyscraper at Hirzenbachstrasse 77	Hirzenbachstrasse 77 (District 12) ( location )	45	?	1958	?
042	High-rise building at Luchswiesenstrasse 220	Luchswiesenstrasse 220 (District 12) ( location )	45	18th	1974	?
044	IBM skyscraper	Vulkanstrasse 106 (District 9) ( location )	44	14th	2005	Max Dudler
044	Skyscraper to the ski jump	Talstrasse 65 (District 1) ( location )	44	14th	1962	Werner Stücheli and René Herter	The house was first renovated between 2000 and 2002 and then increased from 13 to 14 floors.
046	Skyscraper on Triemliplatz	Birmensdorferstrasse 511 (District 9) ( location )	43	16	1966	Esther and Rudolf Guyer
046	CHN building of the environmental sciences ETH Zurich	Universitätstrasse 22 (District 1) ( Location )	43	?	1976	?
046	Andreaspark G3	Hagenholzstrasse 62 (District 11) ( location )	42	14th	2012	Reto Visini Architects
046	"James" skyscraper	Flüelastrasse 31 (District 9) ( location )	40	13	2007	Patrick Gmür
046	Hochhaus Stadtsiedlung Talwiesen Binz	Binzallee 4–6 (District 3) ( location )	40	13	2008	Dachtler Partner and Leuppi & Schafroth Architects
046	Binzmühlehof	Friesstrasse 8 (District 8) ( location )	40	12	1959	R. Rota and H. Stäger
046	Credit Suisse Uetlihof	Uetlihof (District 3) ( location )	40	11	2011	Stücheli Architects
046	Skyscraper at Gubelstrasse 28	Gubelstrasse 28 (District 11) ( location )	40	?	1967	?

Projects in planning

Surname	Location urban district	Height in m	Full floors	construction time	Architects	Remarks	photo
Hard tower skyscrapers	Bernerstrasse Süd 1 (District 5) ( location )	137	?	?	?
Franklinturm	Hofwiesenstrasse (District 11) ( location )	80	22nd	2019-2022	Armon Semadeni Architects
Tati skyscraper	Hohlstrasse (District 9) ( location )	80	?	2020–	Armon Semadeni Architects

literature

• Rudolf + Esther Guyer, Buildings and Projects 1953–2001, Swiss building documentation, monographs of Swiss architects.

Web links

Commons : Skyscrapers in Zurich  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• City of Zurich: high-rise buildings in Zurich - guidelines . Leaflet, updated new edition 2012 (PDF; stadt-zuerich.ch; edition 2001 see publications & brochures )
• Size comparison of the tallest buildings in Zurich at SkyscraperPage.com
• Visualizations and photos of the high-rise projects, forum.skyscraperpage.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Building Regulations of the City of Zurich Building and Zoning Regulations Local council resolution of October 23, 1991 with changes by July 6, 2016. (PDF; 1.1 MB) City of Zurich, p. 9 , accessed on May 25, 2018 . 
2. ^ High-rise buildings in Zurich: Guidelines for the planning and assessment of high-rise projects. (PDF; 582 kB) City of Zurich: Building Construction Department, November 2001, accessed on May 25, 2018 . 
3. ^ Planning and Building Act (PBG) (of September 7, 1975). Canton of Zurich, accessed on May 25, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Robert Walker: The rocky road to the first high-rise in Switzerland . In: Swiss construction documentation (Ed.): Baudoc Bulletin . No. 2 . Blue 2000.
5. ↑ Heiligfeld. City of Zurich, accessed on May 25, 2018 . 
6. ↑ 40 meters is not enough ... Baublatt, November 23, 2009, accessed on May 25, 2018 .