Dorfplatz 13, Zumikon

UTOREM successfully acquired this property, which is centrally located at Dorfplatz 13, Zumikon for a client at the end of June 2020. The residential and commercial building, which dates from 1962, is in need of major refurbishment, and both the building’s technical equipment and energy consumption are outdated. On behalf of the proprietor, UTOREM is currently developing a new building comprising 39 rental units and a village restaurant to cater to the inhabitants of Zumikon.

The plot is part of a planning zone centred around the village square. The project was planned in close coordination with the municipality’s proposed redevelopment of the village square. A key concern in the redevelopment is the levelling out of the existing height difference between the existing property and the village square and the removal of the outdoor parking area at Dorfplatz 13. This will allow for an attractive enlargement of the present village square and the construction of a restaurant directly adjacent to it, with a spacious outdoor terrace and distant views of the Albis and Uetliberg mountains.

An invitation to tender involving five architects was conducted between 2020 and 2021. The design by Zurich-based Haltmeier Kister Architektur was the jury’s unanimous choice for further development. The project is composed of two buildings and incorporates both the restaurant in the village square and 39 rental units of various categories, ranging from maisonettes to courtyard-facing flats and conventional single-storey apartments. The 2.5 to 4.5-room units featuring generously proportioned private outdoor areas are targeted at Zumikon residents of all ages. Situated at the edge of the village square, this elegant and tranquil cubic structure comprises residential units and a ground-floor restaurant. The building in the garden is located on the lower-lying Gössikerstrasse. The footpath connecting the village square with Gössikerstrasse will be retained.

The private development plan is to be recommended for approval at the next municipal assembly in June 2023.

Picture authors: maaars