Mega project

After more than five years under construction, the Circle was opened in early November 2020. It is home to two hotels with a congress center, numerous shops and restaurants, headquarters for international companies and premises for medical services, which are increasingly turning the airport into a complete urban center.

The project was built by a joint ownership company, with Flughafen Zürich AG and Swiss Life AG holding stakes of 51% and 49% respectively.

Switzerland’s largest construction site

At peak times, there were around 2'500 tradespeople working in tandem on what was then Switzerland’s largest construction site. The building work was estimated to take 1'700 days and more than half a million Swiss francs were spent on each. Around 20'000 truckloads of excavated material had to be transported away, 23 cranes put up and taken down again, 400'000 tonnes of concrete and 22'500 tonnes of steel transported in, 1'340 piles sunk into the ground, 17.5 kilometres of prestressing cable laid and 84'000 square metres of glass façade and 89 lifts installed. Besides the construction site logistics with just one entrance in the north and one exit in the south, the building automation system and the SBB tunnel running under the construction site, the outward-angled glass façade also presented a major building challenge. The façade was a challenge to install due to its position right on the main road. Traffic had to remain unaffected by the work on the façade during the day; only at night was it possible to close the road. What’s more, something had to be done to avert the risk of components falling onto the road during installation. A customised steel structure was therefore constructed to surround the shell on the road side like a protective casing. The thirty double elements necessary weighed up to 75 tonnes each and were put up and subsequently taken down again during a total of 60 night closures. The protection afforded by the steel frame enabled the 3'500 glass elements to be installed without any incidents.

Switzerland’s largest Minergie building

The Circle is setting new standards in sustainability: the district at Zurich Airport is certified to LEED® PLATINUM, the highest level of certification. And the Circle is the largest building in Switzerland to receive Minergie certification. Among other things, rainwater is collected for flushing toilets, there is a photovoltaic system on the roof, and up to 1'000 energy piles provide the Circle with heating in the winter. The quadruple glazed façade also contributes to sustainability – the ventilation between the glass panes is an excellent solution in terms of heating and energy.

The Circle as part of Zurich Airport

The Circle and adjacent park are directly linked to the airport terminals and also offer a quality external ambience and a quality address that is one-of-a-kind at any airport in the world. The range of uses at the Circle are an ideal complement to the existing offering at Zurich Airport. The Circle is a place to work, shop and spend time, a venue for medical services, congresses, events and, with the two Hyatt Hotels, a venue for people from the vicinity, for tourists and business travellers. The culinary offering at the Circle and the adjacent park also enhances the new district at Zurich Airport.

An overview of all shops and restaurants, opening hours and additional information are all available online.

Circle