Stories

Basel boasts a long and distinguished history in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech industries. The recently completed buildings in Stücki Park continue this tradition. The four finger-shaped buildings are specifically designed for laboratories but also offer modern office floor space that…

Real estate accounts for a large part of global CO₂ emissions, both during construction and demolition and while the building is in operation. The circular economy, which addresses this issue within the context of grey energy, is an integral part of Swiss Prime Site’s business model.

The Swiss population is approaching 10 million, thanks to growth driven largely by immigration.

2023 proved to be one of the most challenging years in the real estate sector in a long time – rising interest rates, far fewer transactions, and valuation corrections were just some of the headline issues. In spite of this, Swiss Prime Site ended the year with a strong operational result. René…

Properties are long-term investments that stand for decades and therefore have a major impact on our environment. With this in mind, Swiss Prime Site pursues a sustainability strategy that covers the most important environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects.

Right by Lancy-Pont-Rouge train station, on the Esplanade 4 plot, a services building of 28,000 square metres across 15 upper floors has been taking shape over the last three years: Alto Pont-Rouge. This is the next major construction milestone in Geneva’s major development project…

Sustainability and environmental awareness are among Swiss Prime Site’s core values. The company wants to achieve climate neutrality in its own portfolio by 2040. Green leases will play a key role in achieving this goal. But what exactly are they?

Karin Voigt is Chief Portfolio Officer at Swiss Prime Site, with responsibility for a real estate portfolio of around 180 buildings in some of Switzerland’s top locations. We discussed quality, modern portfolio management, sustainability, digital real estate and the levers that control them. She…

The development and implementation of a promising sustainability strategy stands and falls by the identification of the topics critical to a particular business. For Swiss Prime Site, these are the reduction of CO₂ emissions and closed loops in the construction and operation of buildings. The aspect…

Swiss Prime Site with its twin cornerstones Real Estate and Real Estate Asset Management achieved a successful performance and good results in the 2022 financial year. René Zahnd, CEO of the Swiss Prime Site Group, and Anastasius Tschopp, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Solutions, look back with…

Since spring 2022, Swiss Prime Site employees have been enjoying not just a unique work location, but also new office spaces that epitomise the spirit of New Work. The return of floor space by a tenant in the Prime Tower offered the rare opportunity to move closer together and to merge and redesign…

As the largest real estate company listed on the stock exchange in Switzerland, we lead by example and are aware of our responsibilities towards our employees, customers, the environment and society as a whole. Our vision is to generate value and create sustainable living spaces. For us, this means…

Tech companies are investing billions in creating the next generation of virtual worlds. As part of this, real estate companies could look to expand upon their current business models in a targeted way. Yet not everything that is technically possible is likely to lead to success.

Since 2017, the site in Basel known simply as «Stüggi» to the locals is being completely transformed and repositioned. A former shopping centre has been turned into an urban development for leisure, entertainment, work and – above all – research, development and knowledge transfer. The former dyeing…

Until the late 1970s, Escher-Wyss was a purely industrial area located on the outskirts of the western part of Zurich. The site of the former Maag Zahnräder AG near the Hardbrücke railway station was revitalised by the construction of Prime Tower, the Cubus and Diagonal annex buildings and the…

The phrase «turning point» is commonly used in various contexts at the moment. Epidemiologists, for example, are using it to refer to a new era and the considerably higher risk of pandemics. Politicians, meanwhile, are using it in the context of the war in Ukraine to describe the presumed end of a…

We are convinced, sustainable, future-oriented governance increases the company's resilience. This particularly applies to Swiss Prime Site’s comprehensive real estate portfolio. The objective of certifying as many of the 180+ properties as possible enables the company to create a frame of…

Developing property on greenfield sites or repositioning existing plots takes foresight, imagination, a self-starter attitude and a certain amount of courage. Annette Bohr tells us about her work as a Development & Construction Project Manager at Swiss Prime Site Immobilien.

Booking a space for workshops, a temporary office or an independent location for a team off-site – all this has been possible at Stücki Park since autumn 2021. The new «ZIP» solution is in keeping with the times, offering prestigious team offices and meeting rooms with contemporary, flexible rental…

Innovation smooths the way for sustainable executive management at Swiss Prime Site – and is firmly entrenched in our strategy. This enables us to implement innovation as an integrated principle across all our business fields. This is more important than ever in light of our climate target of «net…

With its Energy Strategy 2050, the federal government has set the course for a future of reduced environmental pollution. This means that sustainability issues and ESG (environment, social, governance) will continue to grow in importance and will be increasingly embedded in individual corporate…

René Zahnd (CEO) and Marcel Kucher (CFO) look back on an eventful 2021 financial year. Despite numerous challenges, positive results were generated and many milestones reached.

After being approved as a fund manager by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), Swiss Prime Site Solutions launched its first real estate fund on 1 November 2021. This was reason enough to talk to Maximilian Hoffmann, CIO funds, about the company’s plans and goals.

In various areas, humans have already exceeded the limits of what the planet can cope with. Climate change – and the accompanying call for decarbonisation – can be described as one of the greatest global challenges of our time. The responsibility of states, corporations and every single person as a…

The general digitalisation of society and the accompanying need for flexible solutions to ensure convenient and modern day-to-day working is having a considerable influence on the real estate market. Property developers like Swiss Prime Site are trying to successfully meet this growing need for…

The imminent completion of Espace Tourbillon, currently the largest development project being managed by Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, is rapidly approaching. Designed with the aim of satisfying a wide variety of customer requirements, the properties already have a diverse range of users and offer…

The topic of the «circular economy» is one of the central components of a business and a promising factor in the success of our company’s sustainable direction.

Our Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ton Büchner, and CEO, René Zahnd, reflect on the first half of 2021 and provide a glimpse into the future. Swiss Prime Site posted good results in the first half of 2021, with operating income of CHF 362.8 million and a profit of CHF 257.1 million, or CHF 3.38…

Health awareness, which was already on the increase over recent years, has been greatly heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic and is putting new demands on properties. After all, in Switzerland people now spend up to 21 hours a day indoors, whether at home, at work or shopping. Real estate companies…

The real estate industry has been catering to the growing demand for logistics properties for some time now. Over the past ten years, this trend has been further accelerated by greater mobility and general digitalisation in society. But it was not until the start of the current decade that a real…

In Schlieren, just outside the city of Zurich, Swiss Prime Site is developing a location that will bring together innovation, knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship on the site of a former printing works. «JED» skilfully combines a historic industrial character with the atmosphere of a modern…

Together with the startup Rüedu, Swiss Prime Site is bringing fresh, local produce into urban neighbourhoods. Customers can enjoy around-the-clock shopping in mobile wooden containers.

Work on the development project in the urban Tribsche district of Lucerne began at the start of 2016. The vision was to create a new building predominantly for residential use on the land reserve. After a construction period of around two years, the first building is now close to completion.

Andrea Schaller and Macarena Concha work for Swiss Prime Site Solutions. As Communications Manager and Head of Construction respectively, they carry a lot of responsibility and are passionate in pursuing their goals. In the following interview, they talk about how they tackle their work and flourish…

2020 was a year that demanded much from us, both as people and as a community, and presented us with many challenges. In his report on the 2020 financial year, René Zahnd, CEO of Swiss Prime Site, reviews the events of the past year.

As a partner to the business education organisation YES Young Enterprise Switzerland, we support the continuing education and training of school students aged between 16 and 20. Our employees take on a central role here, travelling throughout Switzerland as corporate volunteers to pass on their…

After a 24-month renovation, one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau buildings in Zurich shines once more. Swiss Prime Site Solutions modernised the Leuenhof for its client Swiss Prime Investment Foundation («SPIF») and redeveloped it for new types of use.

The YOND service and commercial building is all about flexibility, individuality, and innovation – attributes that perfectly describe the tenant structure as well. A tight-knit community has formed in the year since the first tenant moved in.

The current pandemic has shown that radical change is also sweeping through office settings. It is incumbent on property investors to work with their tenants to come up with sustainable solutions for future office spaces.

As the leading real estate company in Switzerland, Swiss Prime Site is committed to sustainability and assumes responsibility for its actions, the environment and society. An innovation workshop held in September 2020 examined the question of how Swiss Prime Site’s business models could do more to…

We work together with start-ups to intensify our innovation process and drive forward pioneering technologies and business models. Our Startup Accelerator Programme provides a platform that brings together start-ups, specialists from Swiss Prime Site and our network for a two-day event where they…

Buying and selling real estate requires an entrepreneurial mindset, teamwork and, above all, business management knowledge. Mikaela Carlsson and David Gysin talk about their work as project managers in the Acquisitions & Sales team at Swiss Prime Site Immobilien.

The thicker, the better. Until recently, an expression to that effect was the standard catchphrase in producing annual reports. Every spring numerous publicly listed companies outdid themselves in publishing the most detailed, the most attractive or the longest annual report.

The coronavirus pandemic an immense impact on our economy and society. It is still too early to draw any definitive conclusions, but it is already clear that taking rapid action, and having clean processes, responsible employees and a robust business model offer the best protection against crises.…

Our real estate development YOND in Zurich received the «best architects» gold award in the commercial/industrial buildings category. Furthermore, our completely converted property Schönburg in Berne received a «best architects» award in the residential/apartment building category as well as an…

For approximately 70 years, the City of Zurich has honoured the best buildings, monuments and facilities in the city with the «Award for Good Buildings in the City of Zurich». With this award, the city promotes a diverse and high-quality building culture as well as public awareness and open dialogue…

It has been over two years since Swiss Prime Site issued its first sustainability report. What progress has Switzerland’s leading listed real estate company made, and where does it stand now?

«Every end is a new beginning». The profound truth of this adage is currently manifesting itself impressively on the former Sulzer site in Zuchwil. Once home to industry, the site is now being transformed with modern living environments and workplaces. Under the motto «Urban living – surrounded by…

Few industries are more essential to modern society than real estate. One in five jobs is created by or for the sector. Properties determine our field of view whenever we are in urban spaces.

What issues and trends will affect us in the 2020 financial year? In this year's outlook, we discuss economic prospects and the outlook for the real estate industry.

For Swiss Prime Site, innovation is a key driver for sustainable business. By staging innovation workshops, the company aims to anticipate the requirements of stakeholders early on and create added value for them. A report on the most recent innovation workshop on the subject of «changing values».

The mix of financial work, real estate and personal interaction with different stakeholders makes the role of Asset Manager a highly varied one. Phailin Chotirat gives us an insight into his work.

For the guests at the Tertianum residential and geriatric care centres, Christmas and New Year are full of magical moments that they look forward to every year. Staff at Switzerland’s leading provider of assisted living and care services offer a range of events and sensitive support to help guests…

Shareholders’ equity, bonds, convertible bonds, mortgages, payout and LTV ratio, dividend yield: these are all financial instruments or key figures that play an important role for Swiss Prime Site and their stakeholders. Behind every number is an important statement that is also significant in…

The start-up Tower360 has partnered with Swiss Prime Site Immobilien and Wincasa to develop a data-driven, vertically integrated letting and asset management platform on which all relevant data for property owners, managers and marketers is compiled centrally on dashboards and can be edited…

Properties should be sustainable and districts vibrant. The cities of the future are not only technologically smart but also more socially cohesive and greener. What role does innovation play in the successful and sustainable development of living environments?

Ever more electric cars can be seen on Swiss roads each year. As an innovative, sustainable real estate firm, Swiss Prime Site wants to provide its customers and tenants with the option of charging their electric vehicles quickly and easily. The company starting by commissioning ten charging…

To take the view from outside means to be open and courageous. The change of perspective rewards us with new ideas and helps us to become better.

On 2 September 2019, Pallas Kliniken opened their first Aesthetics flagship store at Jelmoli. What connects Switzerland’s largest premium department store with a beauty clinic? A discussion about service, lifestyle medicine and the property concepts of the future.

Real estate, journalism and art. What unites these three things? The unlikely answer comes vividly to life in the Medienpark in Zurich Altstetten, which weaves these elements together in a sensory symbiosis.

The one billion venture capital threshold for Swiss start-ups was broken in 2018. Switzerland has a lively and highly successful start-up scene, clustered in the cantons of Zurich, Vaud and Zug. A variety of accelerator, pitch and hackathon events, conferences and awards ceremonies are all signs of…

Innovation is part of human DNA and has been around forever. Technological change has always had a tendency to be disruptive and has led to economic, societal and environmental upheaval in the past. That was back when start-ups were known as «young companies» and venture capital was called «risk…

For Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, the focus is on the customer as a person. The JED, YOND and Alto Pont-Rouge projects exemplify this focus in various ways and demonstrate how construction will look in future.

The traineeship programme by Swiss Prime Site, established in 2017, gives talented young people an opportunity to experience the exciting world of real estate first-hand. Over the course of the programme, which lasts between 18 months and two years, a small group of promising talents gains in-depth…

Mixed Reality enables the digital visualisation of construction plans, which can be displayed in a layer over reality at the click of a button. This is made possible by the software ‹sphere›, developed by holo|one. Swiss Prime Site tests and develops the technology together with Sven Brunner and…

We are used to receiving «non-financials» under the label of «sustainability» as a kind of ancillary company report offering a look back over the past financial year. This practice reveals a lot about the significance attributed to non-financials – and demonstrates that companies’ non-financial…

Geneva is evolving. A real urban revolution is under way in the metropolis on the shores of Lake Geneva. Increasingly, banks and other financial services providers are taking a critical look at the high costs of property in the Central Business District (CBD) and are moving to more modern offices…

Illustrating a company’s CO₂ footprint requires more than simply measuring its own direct emissions. Greenhouse gases emitted by its suppliers or third parties must also be considered in the overall picture. Urs Baumann, Head of Sustainability & Innovation, explains how it is even possible to…

What are the issues and trends for the real estate industry to watch in 2019 and beyond? Alexandra Bay, Head Group Research at Swiss Prime Site, has analysed and summarised the economic outlook and prospects for the property market.

The nursing field requires extensive and, most importantly, precise documentation. Digital systems like careCoach help ensure a high quality of care for patients. To achieve consistent standards at all its sites, Tertianum is currently introducing this innovative software throughout Switzerland.…

Over 350,000 children in Switzerland suffer from rare diseases. And their families suffer with them. Frank Grossmann, founder of Orphanhealthcare, offers these children and their parents a better quality of life and gives them a new outlook. Swiss Prime Site provides the foundation with space for…

What can a company like Swiss Prime Site do to support international climate policy and achieve the UN two-degree target, which has been ratified by Switzerland? This is a question that will occupy the Group's company Wincasa over the coming weeks, months and years. As the process kicks off, three…

Sustainable building is one of the key aspirations of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. As a result, the company is focusing more strongly on the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard (SNBS) when it comes to future construction projects. The commercial complex at Pont-Rouge in Lancy will mark the start of…

The letter we all get once a year detailing «ancillary cost accounts» is anything but ancillary for Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. It doesn’t just present significant costs for tenants or the company itself, it also reflects the environmental impact, which is of great significance to Swiss Prime Site…

In our age of digitalisation, more and more innovative, digital and technically specialised companies have been choosing Switzerland as a business location. Why? Quite apart from the obvious factors such as taxes, transport infrastructure, demographic trends and the education system, one reason…

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic…

Any company, such as Swiss Prime Site, that makes a commitment to sustainability must also be very specific in its implementation; for instance, a reduction in CO₂ emissions. This is why the real estate development company uses energy from Swiss and European hydropower for its properties. It is…

Morten Jensen has been Head of Facility Management at Jelmoli for more than a quarter of a century. He took us on a tour of the labyrinth of rooms under the historic department store and showed us what’s involved in keeping a business up and running in a building complex of this size.

A budget designer hotel with 400 beds in the heart of Zürich. The news was already making waves before it opened last year. Tourists could hardly wait, the media and hoteliers were curious. How did the first twelve months go? Were expectations met and doubts dispelled? We met with Urs Vogel, the…

Since August, Swiss Prime Site Solutions has had a new CEO – and Anastasius Tschopp has had a new mission. We met the 39-year old from Lucerne for a chat about scale, team sports and his choice to simply hang up his boots.

The Usego building in Olten has already seen a broad spectrum of occupants: a logistics centre, retailers, a coffee roaster. For the residents of Olten, it is very much a part of local history. For Edna Slegers, who works in Development at Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, it is the home of a new…

On 8/9 August 2018, we are proud to host our fourth Accelerator Workshop. The theme will be «Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data & Analytics». Eight selected start-ups will be invited to pitch and work with the Swiss Prime Site management and industry experts to set up a pilot project…

Giant leaps are being made towards the future in Basel's Stücki Park. Opening of the new «Village in Stücki Park» is planned for the end of October. The Village will form a place for people to meet. We met the management and project directors and were given a guided tour of the unique construction…

A position devoted to «digital transformation» can in the interim be found in nearly every medium-sized organisation, mostly as a member of management. According to CEO Oliver Hofmann, such an organisation would be the wrong approach for Wincasa. Sandro Principe, Head of Transformation, elaborates…

Attention to detail — at Rivington & Sons, you can see it and taste it. Over a perfect cappuccino served by the barista and company manager Dario Tozzi, we soak up the atmosphere of 1920s and 30s New York.

Am 5. Juni 2018 wurde im aufstrebenden Quartier Plan-les-Ouates in Genf der Grundstein für das Projekt «Espace Tourbillon» von Swiss Prime Site Immobilien gelegt. | Swiss Prime Site Immobilien a célébré la pose de la 1ère pierre le 5 juin de ce mois du projet «Espace Tourbillon», dans le quartier en…

Can we spark students' interest in becoming entrepreneurs? That's what the YES (Young Enterprise Switzerland) company program aims to achieve. Participants from all across Switzerland spent one year hard at work, and on 25th–26th May the final was held at Zurich central station. Noémie Sasse, CEO of…

The name of Jelmoli stands for the famous premium department store at Zurich’s best address, and thus for a unique shopping experience. Not (yet) so well known: One can also enjoy unusually good food here. CEO Franco Savastano and Grill chef Daniel Stefanak talk about customers, relationships, and…

Swiss Prime Site has opened the door to culinary diversity in front of Maag-Halle directly behind Zurich’s Prime Tower. In fact, a different food trailer is on site every weekday between Monday and Friday. Martin *Heiss, with his fresh chicken pitas, has become a real crowd pleaser here in just a…

Where the massive printing presses of Switzerland’s illustrious NZZ newspaper used to turn, space is currently being created for 2 000 workplaces in the engineering, technology and Industry 4.0 sectors. A stroll through these halls with their glorious history and fantastic future.

Following a 20 months construction period, the Riantbosson Centre in Meyrin opened its doors on 26th April 2018. The building, which has impressive contemporary architecture, combines office space and retail areas. Visitors to the Riantbosson Centre can find plenty of well-known brands there: ALDI…

Prime Tower stands 126 metres and 36 storeys tall in total. Ironically, a broken window had to be replaced on the 34th floor – that’s nearly at the spire. Fear of heights has no place here.

«We are a nightmare for a lot of HR managers. They see us as spoiled, self-enamoured and arrogant.» Those are the first words of «Glück schlägt Geld», published in 2014, in which communications expert and economist Kerstin Bund explains how millennials are changing the world of work.

The beautifully presented fruit and vegetables at the Jelmoli FOOD MARKET are a feast for the eye. They are an important element in the atmosphere at what is arguably Zurich’s best gourmet department store. Yet this apparently effortless perfection in fact demands that the entire display be…

René Zahnd, CEO of Swiss Prime Site, believes that a strong core business, vertically integrated business fields and sustainability-oriented management are the keys to success.

In a prime location in Bern's Breitenrain quarter, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien is transforming the former postal headquarters into a new centre that will improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood.

The former Fraumünster post office in Zurich is now home to Lidl's new flagship store. The location, walking distance from the Paradeplatz, is fantastic. Nadia von Veltheim at Lidl Switerland is clear: this was a smart decision and represented a logical continuation of the existing strategy.

Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, aims to realise projects with a volume of CHF 2.1 billion in the coming years. An interview about customer and market orientation, innovative strength, consolidation potential, organic growth and his greatest asset: the know-how of employees.

It was not all that long ago that care homes used to be somewhat soulless places, which local municipalities tended to build in more remote locations, often at the edge of a forest. While their elderly residents were well cared for medically speaking, they generally found themselves living somewhat…

«Switzerland needs a land-use planning that focuses more on tomorrow rather than today», thinks Patrik Schellenbauer, Chief Economist of the think tank Avenir Suisse.

«X-Wing» and «Millennium Falcon» instead of «Amsterdam» or «Nice». When meeting rooms are named after spaceships rather than cities and the corners of each office are adorned with huge Lego models from the Star Wars universe, these are clear indications that one is visiting the Zurich head office of…

Thanks to its warm lighting, the interior of the hotel looks even more stylish. Outside, Zurich’s central business district is as purposeful as ever on this grey November day.

The phenomenon has become widespread. As ever more industries are affected by disruptive developments, the markets in which most companies operate are now being transformed at breathtaking speed.

With its Stücki site, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien is playing a key role in the development of the northern part of the City of Basel. Under the Stücki Park brand, massive investments are being made in a new centre for work, leisure, wellness, health, gastronomy and shopping.