Zurich: Gastronomy in the Amtshaus

The Amtshaus on Helvetiaplatz was built in 1963 by architects Walder Doebeli + Hoch and is included in the inventory of the city's monument preservation office. As part of the renovation now underway, the building is to be made fit for use for another 30 years, according to the city of Zurich.

In 2013, the municipal council demanded in a motion that the renovation should also include "possibilities that invite people to linger on the square" - for example, by providing space for gastronomic uses. A café bar with 30 indoor and 50 outdoor seats will therefore be installed in the left part of the building as seen from the square; the municipal council approved CHF 1.99 million for the installation.

Following a public tender, the restaurateurs Jonas Herde, Livio Notaro, Michele Bernasconi and Daniel Ferrari were selected from 28 applicants to run the café bar; the quartet opened the espresso bar La Stanza near Paradeplatz ten years ago and also runs the Rivington and Sons Hotel on the first floor of the Prime Tower. Their concept for the restaurant in the Amtshaus envisages an Italian-style café-bar, including take-away and a store where Italian specialties can be bought.

Next spring, the nearly CHF 50 million renovation of the listed Amtshaus, for which the ARGE Kaufmann Widrig Architekten & Architekturbüro Bosshard und Partner is responsible, will be completed. The café-bar is also scheduled to open then.