Zurich: Globusprovisorium to become a public space

The Globus Provisorium on Zurich's station bridge between the main railway station and Central was built in 1961 as a temporary location for the Globus department store - originally for eight years. The building on the Papierwerd site is now classified as historically valuable - and according to the city, the renewal of the water rights concession is linked to it providing public uses with added value for the population in the future.

Sales areas are being rewritten

The supporting structure, façade, insulation and building services need to be renewed. Fire protection and earthquake safety measures are also required. As part of the modernization, the building is now to be repurposed as a public building. The retail space is to move to the basement, freeing up the first floor. The current user, Coop, will remain in the building until construction begins; the retail space will then be put out to public tender. The city wants to create publicly accessible areas on the ground and upper floors for «urban culture, education, events, temporary formats and gastronomy». In addition, the realization of a bicycle station will be examined in further planning. The specific uses are still open; they are now being developed and will then be put out to public tender. The municipal offices in the building will move to other locations. A publicly accessible terrace will be created on the roof, accessible from the outside. «In future, the building will be closely linked to the new open space on the Mühlesteg and the Limmat - a central element of the overall strategy.»

Completion in the middle of the next decade

The City Council is requesting a project planning credit of CHF 7.21 million from the municipal council for the project competition, the construction project with cost estimate, the building permit procedure and the preparations for execution. The competition results are expected to be available in summer 2028. Completion will take place in 2035 at the earliest.