Last week marked my 3-year anniversary of working at “The Circle” at Zurich Airport! It’s by far the most beautiful workplace I’ve ever experienced at an airport. 5 years after its opening, over 5,000 people work in „The Circle“ every weekday, giving the place a lively, urban atmosphere. Everything is within walking distance: the terminal, the train station, a variety of cafés and restaurants, all reachable in under 15 minutes.
I even go to the doctor in „The Circle“ now, just because it’s so convenient. Before I joined Zurich Airport, I worked as an airport consultant and was involved in 5–6 different master plans for airport cities. Most of them looked great on paper, well-thought-out, campus-style and phased developments. But they tend to grow very slowly or even never became reality.
Zurich Airport took a different approach in developing its airport city:
- The site is right across from the terminal, but it’s compact and had to remain partly green.
- That constraint led to a very dense design, which made it possible to hide all the car traffic underground and create a sheltered, pedestrian-friendly ground level. (The Circle’s architect, Riken Yamamoto, once said he was inspired by the narrow alleys of Zurich’s medieval old town.)
- Strong emphasis was placed on architectural and construction quality.
- The airport company is one of only two owners of the complex, which allows it to maintain maximum control on tenant mix and to organize regular cultural events
- Most boldly: the decision was made to open the entire complex all at once, not in phases. That has played a key role in its leasing success – tenants could move into a fully functioning environment from day one.
Some Facts about The Circle
• 180,000 M2 usable Floor Space
• Workplaces for 5500 People
• Largest LEED Platinum Certified Building Complex in Europe
• Designed by Japanese Architect Riken Yamamoto
• International Competition in 2009, Opening In 2020
• Owned by Zurich Airport (51%) and Swiss Life Insurance (49%)
The Circle Complex is home of Zurich Airport Headquarter, 2 Hyatt Hotels, Cafes, Restaurants, Shops, Medical Clinic, Convention Center and a Gym. It also provides a Public Square and Public Park with 250’000 Bees.
The Circle is the most successful airport city project I’ve come across, precisely because it is the opposite of the typical “campus” model: Maximum density, walkable and super connected!
What’s also impressive: Visionary planners and politicians already back in the late 1960s saw the potential of connecting the airport to the Swiss national rail network. A tunnel was built under the airport, and in 1980, the underground airport train station opened. Today, 300 trains pass through it daily – it’s essentially the main power supply line that made „The Circle’s“ success possible.
That’s why I believe “The Circle” is also a great example of how successful airport planning requires bold, visionary decisions! (something that may have been lost a bit at some European airports)
