The Circle, Zurich Airport

The Circle is Zurich Airport’s business hub, home to over 50 companies and a wide range of bars, restaurants, shops and a park. Completed in 2020, it is one of the largest Swiss construction projects of recent years.

Within walking distance of the airport terminals, the Circle has the atmosphere of an international trade centre. Its iconic architecture and unique location contribute to its growing reputation as a place of innovation, inspiration and collaboration.

Brand: Gartner

Design architect: Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Executive architects: Richter Dahl Rocha & Associés SA/Fischer Architekten AG/RLC Architekten AG

Client, planning and site management: HRS Real Estate AG

Owner: Flughafen Zürich AG/Swiss Life AG

The project

The concept

Six buildings – between 9 and 11 storeys high – are grouped in a compact area to give the impression of a small-scale city centre, following the ring shape of the motorway. An air permeable glass roof offers rain protection and brings the atmosphere of the outdoor environment to the interior. The maximum building height is 38m.

What did we do?

Our Gartner team designed, engineered, manufactured and installed 23,000 sqm of ring façade, 52,200 sqm of hill façade, and 8,700 sqm of courtyard façade. The ring façade slopes over the motorway, covering the road by around 15m at its maximum incline.

Closed Cavity Façade (CCF) technology was chosen because of its acoustic and sustainability properties – the Circle is the largest building every certified by Minergie, a Swiss construction standard for new builds and renovated buildings.