Uraniastrasse 9, Zurich

Opened in 1907, the commercial building at 9 Uraniastrasse in Zurich is a fine example of the representative historicism of the late nineteenth century. Among the numerous buildings with which architect Gustav Gill left a lasting mark on urban planning, it occupies a special position: the tower, which is more than 50 metres high, houses Switzerland’s first observatory and the building is known as Zurich’s first concrete structure. It has been a listed building since 1989. In the interior most of the original fabric has been destroyed, only the staircase remains visibly unchanged.

The client commissioned Fischer Architekten to prepare a feasibility study for an overall renovation of the building, which includes an annex at number 6 Oetenbachgasse that dates from 1904. The concept envisages a renovation that goes “back to the roots”, in order to restore the artistic and historical-cultural character that the commercial building had lost.

Working on the basis of this feasibility study, in the first step the offices on the first and second floors were renovated. To allow maximum flexibility in terms of use, the renovation work was confined to a basic fitting-out. Existing insertions and claddings were stripped away from the building shell, the WCs were completely renewed, and the spatial organisation was optimised.