FORUM UZH Foundation Stone Ceremony

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND — On Tuesday, the cornerstone ceremony for FORUM UZH was held in Zurich. The event was attended by Martin Neukom and Sylvia Steiner, members of the Cantonal Council; Gabriele Siegert, Vice Director of the University of Zurich; and Pierre de Meuron, Founding Partner of Herzog & de Meuron.

As part of the ceremony, a four-sided sculpture was placed into the ground. The work symbolizes both the University of Zurich’s multidisciplinary approach to teaching and research and the multifaceted relationship between the new university campus and society. They were joined by guests from the City of Zurich as well as members of the planning and project teams, including Christine Binswanger, Tobias Winkelmann, and Alexa Nürnberger, amongst others.

FORUM UZH is a new education and research campus in central Zurich, providing space for almost 6,000 people to study, research, and work. It brings together open student workspaces, research facilities, a large learning centre and library, cafés and restaurants, and sports facilities.

Set back from Gloriastrasse, the research building creates room for a generous public park that extends into the adjacent Gloriapark. The teaching facilities are accommodated within a terraced plinth beneath the park, while the Forum—a shared lounge, meeting, work, and event space—connects the research and teaching areas. It opens onto a public sunken garden, forming a more sheltered outdoor space within the plinth.

The new park, plinth, and research building are accessible from all sides and connect seamlessly with their surroundings. FORUM UZH embodies the vision of an open university, linking research, teaching, and the urban city through a diverse range of spaces for activity, exchange, and recreation.

Links:

Digitalmagazin FORUM UZH