Bahnhofstrasse 77, Zurich

The house at number 77 Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich forms part of a district that was built between 1928 and 1931 as a block perimeter development and is today under a protection order. The complex includes the former Brann department store and the Naefen House. The three closely connected, vertically articulated buildings form one of the most prominent block edges on Bahnhofstrasse and are important examples of Zurich’s commercial and department store architecture.

In recent decades tenants made various changes in the interiors of the three buildings and removed fire walls. The original shops, some of which were very elaborate, no longer exist. From the conservationist’s viewpoint the structure of the building shell, the staircase from the first floor upwards, the facade including the windows, and the steep roof with the roof trusses are worth preserving.

In the context of the planned revitalisation of the former Brann department store and the Naefen House the house at number 77 is to be detached from the other two buildings and renovated and redesigned as an independent building. When the Apple company was a tenant the section of the stairs between the ground floor and basement was removed. This staircase is now to be rebuilt and the stairs is to be continued up to the rooftop level. The original materialisation consisting of terrazzo floors, artificial stone steps and a real stone dado is integrated in the concept and developed further, working in collaboration with the conservation authority. The remnants of the old lift in the staircase eye are to be removed and replaced by a new lift that travels from the basement to the rooftop storey. For the new ground floor entrance to the offices the same materials are used as in the stairwell, which gives the building back its original quality and representative character.