Two Concepts, One Project

This year's European Championships, which are taking place at four venues each in Switzerland and Austria, have also been the occasion for the development or redevelopment of a number of stadiums.
Unfortunately it has not been possible to complete the most ambitious project, the Hardturm stadium in Zurich, by the start of EURO 2008, with the designs submitted by two prestigious Zurich architectural firms under intense discussion.
Responsibility for the project lies with the city of Zurich and Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank. A competition in the spring of 2002 was won by the design submitted by Meili Peter, who were commissioned to develop their concept. This would create a football stadium complete with shopping mall, offices and a hotel. A stand in the shape of a polygon is built on a base which accommodates all these other facilities.

However for the residents of the area, who have formed a pressure group, this solution has a number of negative features:

- the shopping mall will lead to an increase in traffic
- the height of the building will throw a massive shadow
- the size of the stadium is regarded as excessively large
- the football pitch is 12 metres above ground level, which creates logistical problems
- the base will have its foundations about 1 metre below ground water level, which may not be a direct disadvantage but still requires special permission

The critical attitude of local residents has been reflected in the numerous public objections which have been registered against the development, something which is not untypical in Switzerland, and these have delayed the construction project for so long that there was no question of its being completed in time for EURO 2008.

Walter Wäschle (architects Atelier WW) and Ernst Meier (Meier&Steinauer AG) then threw oil on the flames with a new and innovative alternative design:

The duplex arena they have proposed would not only be more in line with the requirements of residents and the football club, but would also solve the problem of the ice hockey club, which could soon be without a roof over its head. The stadium would namely accommodate two playing areas, one for football and the other for ice hockey.

Shared use of the stadium by both sports would provide the clubs with considerable benefits in that the infrastructure could be used jointly and the operating and building costs would be distributed across three associations.

At the same time doing without supplementary facilities such as the shopping mall and hotel would reduce the overall cost and speed up the implementation of the project by avoiding public objections and court hearings.

However, this enthusiasm is not shared either by Credit Suisse as the owner of the site and property developer or by the city and its chairman Elmar Ledergerber, on the grounds that re-planning the project now would add another 10 years to the completion time. After all, the periods of office during which managers and city chairmen can realise prestige projects don't last for ever. The Hardturm stadium is namely the 'grand projet' of the city chairman, whose period in office ends this year.