What will be built in the university district in the next years
The area around the ETH main building is changing: a new university hospital, the FORUM UZH and a café will be built by the end of the decade. In addition, Rämistrasse and Gloriasstrasse will be completely redesigned, landscaped and traffic will be reorganised. In addition, ETH has initiated the final phase of its new building project GLC.
The Zurich City university district (HGZZ) is developing. Some central building and road projects have reached another milestone in recent weeks. Here is an overview of what is currently being planned and built in the HGZZ.
Café in the former drinking water reservoir
Opposite the main buildings of ETH and the University of Zurich, a café with indoor and outdoor seating will be set up in the former drinking water reservoir on Rämistrasse. The team from SQUADRAT Architekten has come up with an unconventional idea: with their "Reservoir" project, they are redesigning the disused drinking water reservoir in such a way that part of the original water halls will be preserved, and the historic vaults will be opened up to visitors.
The "Reservoir" will be given a garden that will blend in with the future new green belt, the so-called "park bowl". The restaurant offer will be geared towards students, university and hospital staff, the neighbourhood population and visitors to the park. The preliminary project has been completed, and the City of Zurich is now working on the construction project until autumn 2023. Further information (external page in German).
More space for pedestrians on Rämi and Gloriastrasse
The area around the future café is being redesigned. The redesign focuses on Rämi and Gloriastrasse, two main traffic routes in the university area. These will be structurally adapted to cope with future automobile, public transport, pedestrian and bicycle traffic and to reduce noise. Two of the measures are 30 km/h speed limit and noise-reducing pavements. Most of the tram tracks will be replaced, and two new stops will be built, complete with equipment.
Continuous central islands will enable pedestrians to cross the road safely. The street space will be generously designed and provided with many trees. The so-called park bowl between Gloriapark and the Rämi/Gloriastrasse junction is designed to become a meeting place with new seating steps, paths, trees and green spaces. From 9 June to 10 July 2023, the City of Zurich will make the plans publicly available. external page Further information (in German). external page About the Polysteig here.
The new FORUM UZH education and research centre
Presumably by the end of 2029, the FORUM UZH will be built on Rämistrasse opposite the main UZH building. The building will have nine floors - seven of which will be above ground for teaching and research. It also contains a restaurant, small shops and indoor and outdoor recreation areas. A total of around 6000 students and university staff will work in it. At the end of March 2023, the Zurich Cantonal Council approved the loan application for the FORUM UZH, estimated at 598 million Swiss francs, minus 1.3 million Swiss francs for art in construction. If the building permit is granted by spring 2024, the University will be able to start building FORUM UZH in autumn 2024. external page Further information (in German).
The new university hospital Campus MITTE
Construction work for the new university hospital has already begun: On the construction site of the future new buildings MITTE1|2, the University Hospital Zurich USZ has deconstructed all old buildings by the end of May. The next step will be to excavate the building pit. The two new buildings MITTE1|2, currently under construction on Gloriastrasse, are a key to future medicine for the USZ. The new buildings will enable the USZ to focus even more on patients, drive forward standardisation and digitalisation and introduce more efficient processes. external page Further information (in German).
Move-in has begun in the new GLC building
ETH Zurich has entered the final phase of the construction project for its new development and research building GLC: the interiors are currently being fitted out and the move-in is underway. The GLC will house offices, seminar rooms, laboratories for health sciences and medical technology (departments HEST and ITET) and a technology platform. In addition, there will be a public restaurant and walkways with the neighbourhood.
The professorships moving into the GLC, their labs and the technology platform for clinical trials will further advance ETH activities in medicine and medical technology. The building will also serve the collaboration of ETH research groups with industry, the University of Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich and other university hospitals. Further information.
The depictions of the construction projects (except for that of the GLC) are abridged versions of articles that appeared in the "HGZZ Newsletter" and on the external page HGZZ website (in German).
New exhibition in the HGZZ info room
The information room in the Zurich City university district has been completely redesigned. Among other things, the vision of the university area and the planning steps taken so far are presented. An interactive map invites visitors to explore the area and the planning principles.
In addition, the current building projects are presented, and a metre-high image wall conveys what the university area will look like in a few years. Projects of medical cooperation between the University Hospital, the University, and ETH Zurich are also on display.
Opening hours:
Information Room Zurich City university district
Monday to Friday, 8.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
University of Zurich
Old Printing Office, Building TEL
Rämistrasse 78
8001 Zurich
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