Kleiner Pelikan, Zurich

Erected in 1946/47, “Zum kleinen Pelikan” was one of the first commercial buildings of the post-war period and is today regarded as an example of modernism worthy of preservation. Awarded the architecture prize of the city of Zurich in the year it was built, it occupies a central position between Bahnhofstrasse and the Botanischer Garten and is consequently highly noticeable.

The redesign for the AIG Private Bank includes the four-storey wing along Pelikanstrasse and part of the six-storey wing on Talstrasse. The ground floor continues to house shops and an airline office, while the bank occupies all the upper floors. The spacious and representative client area was placed on the first floor. Both the shops and the bank are fitted-out to a high standard.

The building’s original state provided the model for renovating the envelope. Particularly characteristic is the ground floor cladding of Solothurn limestone, which clearly differentiates this zone from the upper floors, which have a light-coloured plaster.