Landmark Building Metropol to Reopen After Two Years of Renovation Work
07/09/2007 10:03
PR Newswire
ZURICH, Switzerland, September 7 /PRNewswire/ -- After nearly two years of renovation and restoration, Clariden Leu is
opening the landmark building known as Metropol, which will become the bank's
second prestigious office building in the heart of Zurich. Thanks to the
building's new multi-purpose hall and the METROPOL restaurant, which is
operated by Zurich based Kramer Gastronomie, much of the ground floor of the
Metropol will be accessible to the general public.
Erected by architect Heinrich Ernst in 1892, the Metropol is one of the
most imposing buildings on the left bank of Zurich's Limmat River. Clariden
Leu's move into the building following a thorough makeover represents a
>. The building contains some 330 modern workstations which will be
used by Clariden Leu's Private Banking division. The move will enable the
bank to reduce its former 15 locations in Zurich to six. making the Metropol our second representative place of business in the heart
of Zurich. The building's tradition reflects the values of our Bank, and its
>
noted Clariden Leu CEO F. Bernard Stalder.
310 tons of superstructure and earthquake-proofing steel
The rebuilding of the Metropol posed numerous challenges for Martin
Spühler's team of architects and the various contractors which worked on the
building, particularly when it came to the construction engineering aspect of
the project, making the building earthquake proof, and preserving its
landmark features. The degraded condition of the building's substance, owing
to the passage of time, combined with modern, stringent earthquake-proofing
requirements, translated into greater cost and effort than would otherwise
have been the case. 120 containers of debris were carted away and 310 tons of
steel were used for the superstructure and to earthquake-proof the building.
The inner courtyard was enclosed so as to increase the amount of public space
on the ground floor. The renovation project also had to preserve the
building's historical features, while still meeting the requirements of a
modern bank. At peak period as many as 150 workers were deployed at the site
and had a mere six months to complete the job.
Historical details in a modern context
The landmark-protected rooms in the client area on the second floor were
extensively restored, a project that took 3500 man hours of work, which is
the equivalent of two man years. The interiors in the client area, including
its 25 meeting rooms, were designed by well-known interior designer Iria
Degen. In January 2006, construction workers discovered a nine square meter
basement room containing murals by the late Swiss artist Alois Carigiet.
Clariden Leu decided to completely restore this room, which is now open to
the public.
The Metropol: a new venue for fine dining and top-notch events
The METROPOL restaurant and multi-purpose event hall on the ground floor
of the Metropol will enable Clariden Leu to open Metropol's doors to the
public once again. The bank asked Kramer Gastronomie to operate the METROPOL
restaurant and to serve as the bank's partner for rental of the 220 square
meter multi-purpose event hall, which was designed by Martin Spühler. The
hall will be used for Clariden Leu events, as well as selected public events.
The restaurant was designed by Iria Degen.
Metropol: the historical context
To mark the reopening of the Metropol, Clariden Leu has published a book
about the building and its historical context in and around Zurich. The
richly illustrated book contains historical and anecdotal essays about Haus
Metropol and its era, thus creating a link between the Metropol as it was
then and as it is today.
Milestones of the two year renovation project
- August 18, 2004: The former Bank Hofmann acquired the Metropol from the
city of Zurich along with construction rights for 80 years.
- October 8, 2004: A request for proposals was issued for a study
concerning the renovation of the Metropol.
- December 23, 2004: The architects' office of Martin Spühler was
commissioned with the renovation study and awarded the contract for planning
and implementation of the Metropol project.
- January 2005 to July 2007: Renovation phase.
- August 2007: Clariden Leu moved into the Metropol.
Clariden Leu Ltd came into being on January 26, 2007, as a result of the
merger of Credit Suisse's four private banks - Clariden, Bank Leu, Bank
Hofmann, and BGP Banca di Gestione Patrimoniale - as well as the securities
dealer Credit Suisse Fides. It is a leading private bank offering a
comprehensive and high-quality range of products and advisory services. With
over 20 offices worldwide, Clariden Leu serves wealthy clients with demanding
wealth management and product requirements, external asset managers, and
wholesale clients. With assets under management of some CHF 133 billion (as
at June 30, 2007), Clariden Leu is one of Switzerland's biggest asset
managers.
Please refer questions to:
Thomas Ackermann
Head Marketing & Communications Clariden Leu
Direct dial no. +41-(0)58-205-34-44
thomas.ackermann@claridenleu.com
Dagmar Laub
Head Communications Clariden Leu
Direct dial no. +41-(0)58-205-37-10
dagmar.laub@claridenleu.com
Please refer questions to: Thomas Ackermann, Head Marketing & Communications Clariden Leu, Direct dial no. +41-(0)58-205-34-44, thomas.ackermann@claridenleu.com; Dagmar Laub, Head Communications Clariden Leu, Direct dial no. +41-(0)58-205-37-10, dagmar.laub@claridenleu.com