Zurich: New splendor for the Sihlporte
The historic building at Löwenstrasse 1+3, part of Zurich's Sihlporte, will be restored by the Axa Investment Foundation starting this summer. A new main tenant from summer 2024 has already been found.
Once the city gate of Zurich, the Sihlporte looks back on a history of over 360 years. It was one of the city's most important gates because it formed the only city access on the left bank of the Limmat. In the 1930s, a business center was built at the Sihlporte, which still characterizes the cityscape of Zurich today.
The building at the corner of Löwenstrasse 1+3/Sihlstrasse 46 has been part of the Axa Investment Foundation's building portfolio since 2021, which will renovate the nearly 100-year-old building this year and adapt it to today's requirements. "We are delighted to now be able to bring this historic building out of its slumber and give it a new lease of life," says Stephanie Oefele, Asset Manager at Axa Investment Managers Switzerland Ltd.
According to the information, the facades of the listed building from 1926/27 will be renovated while preserving the spirit of the times and new shop windows will be built on the first floor. The canopy will be removed, returning the building to the design of the early last century. The building services (cooling/ventilation) for the over-height office space will be upgraded. In the coming years, the building is to be heated via a district heating system; a photovoltaic system is also to be installed on the roof. Construction work will start in summer 2023 and last until around fall 2024.
Axa Investment Management has already found a main tenant for the renovated building: In summer 2024, the consulting firm Marsh McLennan, consisting of Marsh, Mercer, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, will move into the building. "The central location in Zurich, combined with the historical flair of the Sihlporte, made the decision for this location easy for us," says Samuel Lisse, MarshMcLennan CEO Switzerland. (bw)
