Preservation of architectural heritage and other forms of sustainability

Vesna Tomse, sociologist / urban activist

International NGO Forum on World Cultural Heritage, St. Petersburg 22.-24. June 2012

Romantic Zurich

Hypotheses

• The neoliberal way of preservation: Instead of preservation laws investment into historical sites

• The «heritage turn»: Architectural heritage as a factor of upgrading

• From state led to private led urban upgrading• Alternatives to exclusion: Sustainable

redevelopment of old buildings

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old city

Manegg

Sihl City

Four development areas

Old Freight Yard

Structure of the presentation

• Structural change and its reflection in space and architecture

• Four sites and ways of dealing with heritage1. Zurich North and the destruction of heritage2. Zurich West and state led upgrading by

preservation 3. Influencing sites outside Zurich West (Sihl City and

Manegg)4. A new dimension: Social sustainability and heritage

Structural change:From the industrial to the knowledge economy

From the industrial sites of workers …

… to the office-towers of a managerial class

Zürich Nord

Old citySihl City

Old Freight Yard

Zurich North

Zurich is not a city of finance

Oerlikon 1930

1988-1998 planing phase1998-2008 construction5’000 inhabitants, 12’000 working places2 billion € investment

Neu-Oerlikon 2008Neu-Oerlikon

A new city

The most destructive power: Money.

And coming with it: alienation.

MFO-parc

Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO): Headquarter

Displacement of the MFO

headquarter22.05.2012:

Displacing 6200 tons by 60 meters

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old city

Zurich West

Zurich West• 8'000 inhabitants, 2015 40'000

working places• Cooperative planing 1997-2000• Construction 2000 –• Usages: Research, start-ups,

design, gastro, urban housing

Escher-Wyss Company 1930 – the biggest factory in Oerlikon

Prime Tower 2012

Flagship projects upgrading the former

industrial sites

The reconstruction of Zurich West

State-led upgrading

The ship-building facility ofEscher-Wyss 2000

Puls 5, industrial interior

Löwenbräu brewery: Private-led regeneration and

preservation

Löwenbräu 2012 and 2013

Toni-Areal 2011 and 2013: Art academy (academy of classical and jazz music, visual arts academy, academy of design etc.)

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old citySihl City

Sihl City

Private led upgrading through preservation of industrial heritage

The «Zurich paper-factory at the Sihl» now is «Sihl City»:77 shopping areas, a hotel, a wellness facility, a multiplex cinema)

• 2'300 working places,• 20'000 visitors per day• investment volume

500 mio.€• rent profit 40 mio.€

per year

1936: «Zürcher Papierfabrik an der Sihl» («Zurich paper-factory at the Sihl»

The «urban entertainment center «Sihl City» was opened 2007

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old city

Sihl City

The Hürlimann brewery

Hürlimann brewery

The Hürlimann brewery

Brewery «Hürlimann», 1900

• Production : 1870-1997• 1999 planing (preservation of 4 buildings), 2001-2009

construction• 350 mio € of investment• Appartments (lofts), old-age residences (no retirement home),

thermal bath, restaurants, offices, a market (eg. Google Switzerland)

Hürimann areal1997 and 2010

Thermal bath 2010

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old city

Manegg

Sihl City

Manegg

Architectural industrial heritage and sustainability (social and ecological)

The spinnery beside the «Sihl-Papier», constructed in 1857

• 2006: Planing beginning• 2011: Planing for

«GreenCity.Zurich»• 700–1200 inhabitants

and ca. 3000 working places

• 4 Housing cooperatives involved

«Sihl Papier», constructed 1960

• 2011: Planing the «GreenCity.Zurich»

• 700–1200 inhabitants and ca. 3000 working places

• 250 apartments cooperative housing

Zürich Nord

Zürich West

Old city

Manegg

Sihl City

The old freight yardOld Freight Yard

Even more sustainability: The

old freight yard and its association

Architecture revolutionising logistics around the world

The regional project: a police and legal centre

The association: Alternatives in urban development

Sustainability in urban development

• Historic sustainability: Identity and architectural heritage

• Social sustainability: Old / young people, families; small businesses

• Ecological sustainability: Minimising energy and living surface consumption

• Economic sustainability: Investors (housing cooperatives; foundations)

The committee

Thank you for your attention!