Urban Space Main Station 2050 at ZAZ
The historic traffic control booth from Central Station is back. Not at its former location, but at the entrance of ZAZ, where it welcomes visitors to our Urban Space Main Station Zurich 2050 project. It almost seems as if it wants to remind us of the time from which it originates and, at the same time, of the future we want to shape.
It is remarkable to think that just a year ago, the traffic control booth at Central was still in operation! Traffiic at one of the most important junctions in the city centre had been controlled manually since 1961. It dates back to the mid-20th century, when the Bahnhofplatz – Central – Limmatquai transport hub was expanded. As a relic of a time when increasing mobility and the onset of mass motorization after the Second World War fundamentally shaped the city of Zurich and its traffic areas, it now stands as a symbol of how far we have come and where we want to go.
Because the goal is clear: a traffic pulpit should never be necessary again in Zurich. With the vision of a pedestrian-friendly, safe, attractive, and greener station area, we are taking a decisive step in that direction. A step towards a city where micro-/macro climate is stable again, rahter than traffic, is the focus.
