Swiss Life has been renovating the two properties at Bahnhofstrasse 75 and 79 in Zurich for over two years. The building’s modern use concept attracted a great deal of interest, and the shop and office spaces are fully let. The first tenant fit-outs have been underway since the beginning of March. The retail units will open in stages from October 2023. The office space is still undergoing the basic fit-out and is expected to be handed over to the new tenants by the end of June this year. The first workplaces are set to be occupied at the beginning of 2024.
The historical heritage of Julius Brann, who created the architecturally distinctive building at Bahnhofstrasse 75 in 1912, serves as the inspiration for the naming of “Swiss Life Brannhof”. New, flexible-use retail spaces
totalling some 4600 m2 will extend over three levels up to the first floor. Modern workplaces are being created on an area of around 5600 m2 from the second to the fifth floors in Zurich's city centre.
High demand for retail and office space: full occupancy achieved
“We are very pleased that the Brannhof has already been fully let over half a year before the planned opening. The high demand reinforces our forward-looking use concept, and we are confident that the new tenants will revitalise the building on all four sides and enrich the city centre,” says Giorgio Engeli, Head of Real Estate Portfolio Management Switzerland at Swiss Life Asset Managers.
Among the new tenants are Teuscher with Café Felix and Massimo Dutti. Lush will also return to the location. In addition, General Motors will be represented at the Brannhof, as part of the company’s innovative retail strategy for electric vehicles, which will seek to engage partners, community groups and customers in the company’s zero emissions future. The office space is also fully let. The Japanese insurance group Sompo International has been acquired as one of the two office tenants which will occupy the second floor. Further tenants will be announced in due course.
Opening will take place gradually from October 2023
“We are very pleased that the Brannhof has already been fully let over half a year before the planned opening. The high demand reinforces our forward-looking use concept, and we are confident that the new tenants will revitalise the building on all four sides and enrich the city centre,” says Giorgio Engeli, Head of Real Estate Portfolio Management Switzerland at Swiss Life Asset Managers.
Renovation of historical building is progressing
The historical building has been extensively renovated in recent months. The exterior facade in natural and artificial stone is now visible again, and the historic lead glazing in a newly created hall on Lintheschergasse has also been restored. The pitched roof has also been re-covered with natural slate. In addition to numerous fit-outs, restoration work is currently underway on the four historic staircases inside the building. The courtyards have also been restored and will be planted in the coming months. Swiss Life is investing
a total of over CHF 100 million in the renovation and revitalisation of the two historic properties at Bahnhofstrasse 75 and 79. The total construction time is around three years.
Sustainability as an important criterion
Swiss Life invests in real estate over the long term on behalf of its policyholders. Sustainability aspects play a central role in that respect. Improving energy efficiency was therefore another important criterion during the renovation of “Swiss Life Brannhof”: an intelligent energy concept will in future make optimal use of the synergies between cooling and demand for heating. The renovation of “Swiss Life Brannhof” is being carried out in close coordination with the preservation authorities and will bring the historical building structure up to the current standards. Following completion, the plan is to certify the property with the internationally recognised DGNB Silver sustainability label.
Construction site tour for media representatives
Media representatives are cordially invited to a guided tour to gain an impression of the construction progress on site on Wednesday, 26 April 2023 from 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. More details will follow.
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Media Relations
Tel.: +41 43 284 77 77
E-Mail: media.relations@swisslife.ch