Unique (Flughafen Zürich AG) is launching the development of a new major project at Zurich Airport. A high-quality building development for services with a utilisable area of around 200,000m2 is planned within walking distance of the terminal. It is called “The Circle at Zurich Airport”.

Over the next few years, Unique (Flughafen Zürich AG) will be developing a real-estate project at the foot of the Butzenbüel hill. The airport operator owns land reserves there with a developable, crescent-shaped area of 37,000 m² and a utilisable area of around 200,000 m2 in compliance with zoning requirements. Over the past two years Unique (Flughafen Zürich AG) has drawn up detailed studies on the positioning and range of uses of the development, and on the basis of this carried out extensive test planning. A public architecture bid invitation and marketing to potential key renters is the next stage.

Not another shopping centre The goal is explicitly not to build an additional shopping centre, but rather to consistently establish Zurich Airport as a premium address for internationally ground-breaking service quality. Located at the intersection of international and regional transport networks, it will be a platform for discerning customers from all over the world and extraordinary service providers from interesting growth areas in an attractive atmosphere of pure “Swissness”.

The networking of the various modules and the connection to the existing airport infrastructures are consequently important. “The Circle at Zurich Airport” aims to prove that innovations in the field of so-called “airport cities” are possible, as are uncompromising quality and top-level excellence outside inner cities.

An investment of around one billion Swiss francs is planned for the project over the next few years. Unique (Flughafen Zürich AG) will plan, coordinate and allocate all the development and implementation tasks itself. A three-stage public architecture bid will be launched on 27 February 2009, and the winner will be announced in February 2010. Construction is scheduled to begin around 2012.

Procedure: Multi-stage competition with selection process in accordance with SIA 142

Investment volume: approx. CHF 1 billion (incl. land)

Deadline for submitting application documents: 4 p.m. on 24 March 2009

Number of bidders, stage 2: 12 to 15 teams

Number of bidders, stage 3: 3 to 5 teams

Submission, stage 3 (workshops), Beginning of December 2009

Total amount of award: CHF 700,000 (incl. 7.6% VAT)