Zurich Main Station

The Zürich Main Station–Central area is Switzerland’s urban hyper-centre. Every day, a crowd the size of the Street Parade flows through this space: the station alone—with its tram and bus stops—generates around 750,000 pedestrian movements per day. All of them are on foot, and this pedestrian traffic also represents passing trade. It offers enormous potential for central urban uses and breathes life into the inner city. The area also boasts many spatial qualities, with well-connected, monumental squares and streets lined with grand urban buildings. Particularly attractive are the two riverbanks and the Platzspitz Park. One of the space’s greatest assets is its versatility and diversity of offerings.

The main task at hand is to “tidy up” the area. This requires above all a paradigm shift in transport. Motorised transit traffic is removed from the immediate station surroundings. Deliveries remain guaranteed and can even be improved in the long term through the extension of the Bahnhofsquai Tunnel. Access to existing parking garages will also be maintained. Tram traffic will be reorganised: the network expanded, and stop layouts optimised. This enables compact, dual-track tram routes throughout, which are easy to cross. Bicycle through-traffic will be routed in a ring around the station area, with the main station access provided via the bike tunnel at the Sihlpassage.

The result is a spacious, seamlessly connected, barrier-free, attractively designed, traffic-free urban space in the direct station environment. There are many opportunities for use, activation, and appropriation—such as through shops and restaurants. The immense space gain allows for extensive greening, widened riverbanks, and a wide range of climate measures (e.g. water management, cooling). Above all, however, there is ample space for pedestrians. The potential—the Power of the Pedestrian—can truly unfold. New commercial streets emerge, easing the load on Bahnhofstrasse.

With a “ring system”, the various topics and elements (transport, uses, social space) are structured and prioritised in concentric zones: from high-frequency, elegant city spaces to more intimate, neighbourhood-oriented urban areas. It also becomes clear that car traffic doesn’t simply disappear, but is reorganised according to its function (transit, destination, delivery).

This vision and design illustrate a possible long-term future for the station area, fully realising the space’s potential. The approach is visionary, forward-looking, and ambitious, while still technically feasible and allowing for pragmatic, phased implementation.