Themed Dossier Zurich No. 3

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Themed Dossier Zurich Number 03

#swiss unique Urban Trends

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Why a Themed Dossier?

This dossier on one single topic is intended to inspire journalists to discover Zurich and the many stories it has to tell. It includes profiles of people who shape our town in diverse ways, each of whom shares insights into their lives and working environments. These people come in as many different facets as the city itself. Their stories give ideas to everyone who would like to visit Zurich and pursue their own research in greater depth. Journalists and editorial departments are welcome to use these texts and photos for free (source: Z端rich Tourismus). Additional photos are available for downloading at www.zuerich.com/themendossier.

Preface Zurich on the Move

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It’s the citizens who create a city’s captivating

There’s plenty of know-how to deal with

rhythm. Impulses for life in the streets, shops,

these topics in our metropolis. It comes from

restaurants and cultural spaces arrive from

visionary people who have thought out their

different angles. However, it’s mainly the

ideas, who trust their instincts and passiona-

bright and creative minds in Zurich who

tely pursue them. A few of these individuals

develop cultural, technical

are

and social impulses and

of this third dossier on

incorporate

Zurich.

them

into

the

protagonists They

tell

the

urban life in imaginative

stories of working with

and meaningful ways.

local resources to bake

They do so by asking the

the best bread in town,

right questions and loo-

to turn discarded rocket

king for answers that turn

metal

urban trends into unique

watches, or to create

experiences.

memorable moments by

into

high-quality

selling hand-made proAre people ready for a

ducts at modern markets.

new culture of sharing and for novel ways to

All of them unite the

support the community? How open are they

advantages of life in the big city with the

for surprising culinary experiences and ven-

communal feeling of living in a conquerable

tures like a street-food festival? How can this

place – and in so doing, they create the

be made to happen in Zurich? What signs of

enjoyable beat of our wonderful town.

quality do consumers look for when they go shopping nowadays?

Martin Sturzenegger, Direktor Zürich Tourismus

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Contents

Page 10–13 // Urban

Page 26–29 // Natural

Borrowing from Next Door | Pumpipumpe

Master of the Dough | John Baker

Page 06–09 // Cultural

With Class for a Good Cause | Jen Dale Page 18–21 // Urban

A Fine Taste for Trends Vania Kukleta

Page 30–35

Information, Map, Imprint Map of Zurich

ZURICH NORTH

Page 14–17 // Urban

Out Of This World Werenbach Watches

LIMMAT

Page 22–25 // Cultural

New Frame for Digital Art | Digital Agency Y7K

ZURICH WEST

CITY CENTER

SIHL

NIEDERDORF

SEEFELD

ENGE

ZÜRICHSEE

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With Class for a Good Cause | Jen Dale Necklaces from Jen Dale’s Big Daddy Ella collection are eye-catching yet subtly elegant.

This talented singer/songwriter personally creates each unique piece.

It all began as an act of meditation. The musician Jen Dale spent many hours in recording studios while working on her music and was always looking for something to do between takes.

“I always liked creating objects with my hands, so I started making necklaces as a kind of hobby and as a way of calming myself down,” says the 30-year-old from Zurich, who currently divides her time among Berlin, New York and Zurich. “Making the first few pieces in the recording environment not only helped me to relax, but also gave me opportunities to create jewelry for

my performances as a singer. I never would

Jen Dale sources the materials for her jewelry

have thought that they’d be popular with other

while travelling, often accompanied by her

people as well!”

mother. Both women have been wearing pieces from Big Daddy Ella since the earliest

When shopping in Zurich, you may encoun-

days and they’ve stirred up a little scene in

ter Jen Dale’s Big Daddy Ella collection in a

their respective social circles. “That’s how

chic boutique on illustrious Bahnhofstrasse,

people first took notice and asked me to make

where the pieces that are draped on mannequins in the shop windows include items made from individual or multicolored

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woo-

something for them

„In this case, the whistle is a symbol of sorrow. Many children receive them to walk onto battlefields and warn soldiers of approaching enemies.“

as well. Big Daddy Ella began to grow very naturally from these humble beginnings. I started selling them literally

den beads, as well as pendants of gold, silver

in my parents’ backyard in Ruschlikon and

or gilt silver. The pendants are shaped like big

now they are being sold in high-end boutiques

hearts, Turkish coins, Indian hamsa or whistles

on Bahnhofstrasse.” However, the singer/

from Scotland Yard.

songwriter still personally makes every necklace herself, thus assuring that each one is a

The last-mentioned items are quite close to Jen

handcrafted and unique piece.

Dale’s heart: proceeds from their purchases will benefit the Falling Whistles charitable pro-

The name “Big Daddy Ella” unites Jen Dale’s

ject in its endeavor to support peace in Congo

love for music with the love for her family: she

and to rehabilitate child soldiers and abused

took the first two words from a sweater worn

women. “In this case, the whistle is a symbol

by her father and eventually given to her; the

of sorrow. Many children receive them to walk

third one was inspired by her favorite singer,

onto battlefields and warn soldiers of approa-

Ella Fitzgerald.

ching enemies. Fulfilling this task not only puts many of the kids in high-risk situations, but of-

CONTACT

ten leads to their being killed.” With necklaces

Schönstaub GmbH c/o Celina Pafumi

bearing whistles as pendants, Jen Dale wants

Lagerstrasse 93

to bring awareness to this worthy cause and

CH-8004 Zürich

to enable her costumers to carry this story into

www.jendalemusic.com

the world.

www.bigdaddyella.com

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Borrowing from Next Door | Pumpipumpe An illustrated set of stickers from Pumpipumpe inspires people to share everyday objects with their neighbors. Founder Lisa Ochsenbein sees these sharing projects as a smart way to connect with the people who live nearby.

We have a global network and we can see what people are doing faraway via social media, but all too often we don’t know anything about the people who live right next door. “We hardly know them, if at all,” says Lisa Ochsenbein at her workplace in a container complex on the Geroldareal in Zurich’s fifth district. This industrial designer shares the space in the vicinity of the Prime Tower and Hardbrucke train station with other creative people. This is the base from which

the co-founder of the Pumpipumpe sharing

fit and absurdity of things and of how they’re

project wants to motivate people to approach

made. “Many objects nowadays are not long

their neighbors and learn more about the are-

lasting and too many people still consume wi-

as they live in.

thout being aware of this. We buy things just

Pumpipumpe works in a fairly simple way.

to use them once a year and they only occu-

Participants can go online to order a set of

py space and cost money. When you live in a

stickers, on which they’ll find little illustrations

city, it makes especially good sense to think

depicting various everyday objects. Among

about sharing.”

other items, there’s a mixer, a power drill, an iron or the bicycle pump that lends the project

Thus far, 15,000 households agree with her.

its name. “You can also find a mirror ball or

That’s how many have ordered sticker sets

a Darth Vader costume there, but these are meant more as whimsical inspirations.”

There’s also a sticker 12

„We want to make it easier to approach each other and start a conversation. Who knows what will come of it!“

since this project was launched in 2013. Seven thousand of them are marked on a map that can be viewed on

that reads “You can borrow all these things

Pumpipumpe’s website. The site also tells its

from me.” When you paste it onto your mail-

visitors where they can borrow which kinds of

box, it lets people know that they’re welcome

object. A few hundred of these locations are

to ring your doorbell.

marked in Zurich. The project is particularly popular in Berlin. Pumpipumpe is not invol-

Along with the other co-founders, Lisa Och-

ved in the details of a borrowing transaction.

senbein established Pumpipumpe for two

“We just think there shouldn’t be any money

main reasons: “On the one hand, we’d like to

involved. Maybe someone borrowing a baking

motivate people to think about the ways they

form can say ‘thank you’ by baking for the

buy and use things. We hope they’ll ask them-

person they got it from.”

selves ‘Do I really need this set of tools when

To heighten awareness of their nonprofit pro-

I could borrow them from one or two of my

ject, the founders will start working with locally

neighbors?’ Thinking about this could even

established stores to sell stickers. And a new

influence the way people buy things in the

app will soon make it easier to find products.

future. On the other hand, we want to make it easier to approach each other and start a

CONTACT

conversation. Who knows what will come of

Pumpipumpe

it!” As an industrial designer, Lisa Ochsenbein

Geroldstrasse 31/33, CH-8005 Zürich

spends a lot of time thinking about the bene-

www.pumpipumpe.ch

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Out Of This World | Werenbach Watches Patrick Hohmann, who founded the Werenbach collection, uses a unique material that makes adventurers’ hearts skip a beat: each watch’s case is made from recycled rocket metal.

A wristwatch that conjures dreams of outer space: “Who hasn’t looked up at the stars and fantasized about traveling there?” says Patrick Hohmann, who launched his Werenbach brand with the “Cosmonaut” collection two years ago. His watches bring a seemingly impossible dream a little bit closer to fulfillment for his customers.

Each watch’s case is made of metal salvaged

watch designers. It took three and a half years

from Russian Soyuz rockets. The discarded

to develop the very first wristwatch. The de-

material landed in the Kazakh desert after

sign of the first two collections was kept simple

it was ejected from the rockets. After some

in order to allow the material to speak for itself.

research, Patrick Hohmann located a dealer

Only in more recent models has the theme

who specializes in this unique metal, which

of the rocket been subtly integrated into the

Hohmann uses to create something comple-

appearance.

tely new that also preserves a small part of the original object’s history. “My idea was

Patrick Hohmann owns enough material for

to create an emotional product that tells an

his “upcycling” ventures, and these watches

authentic story.”

are manufactured only in small series of 15 to 70 units per model. They’re crafted in a little

This narrative can be relived in photos from Kazakhstan,

as

well

as in a new novel that 16

atelier on Limmatquai

„Who hasn’t looked up at the stars and fantasized about traveling there?“

Patrick Hohmann wrote

in the center of Zurich.

Until now, the brand has not advertised, but is publicized only by word

about his adventures. “Initially, I had a dream

of mouth. However, two real-life astronauts

of creating a watch from rocket material.

have visited Patrick Hohmann. Each of them

Serendipity eventually led me to the world’s

bought a watch “and they have since taken it

only dealer in discarded rocket metal.” Hoh-

back to outer space.”

mann was offered truckloads of the metal on

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Patrick Hohmann

Werenbachs Uhr Roman

his first trip in the spring of 2012. “But I only wanted the best parts, which come from the steam turbine. It has to be salvaged from the discarded rocket material like removing a kernel from a shell.” One kilogram of the material is sufficient to make two watches.

CONTACT Hohmann, a business economist and brand

Atelier Werenbach

specialist, was motivated by his dream and his

Limmatquai 56

curiosity. He established a network of experts

CH-8001 Zürich

from the watch industry, e.g. case makers and

www.werenbach.ch

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A Fine Taste for Trends | Vania Kukleta Vania Kukleta creates culinary and cultural projects like Mercatino Rimini and the Street Food Festival. Together with her various partners, she keeps up with the times and transforms gastronomy and design into very enjoyable experiences.

A crowd of bankers, students and creative types gathers at open-air Rimini Lounge between the city’s indoor swimming pool and the Old Botanical Garden on a summery Monday evening.

This is where only men are allowed to swim in the Sihl River during the daytime and where Mercatino Rimini has taken place, weather permitting, every Monday during the summertime for the past six years. Vania Kukleta and her business partner Katja Weber created it as an idyllic

market for merchants of carefully selected vin-

ment of current trends. That’s how she started

tage fashions and handcrafted design objects

the Street Food Festival, which was held for

or jewelry. Every season anew, the people

the first time in 2014. “It was something that

come out in droves.

had been going on for a while in other cities around the world. The craving for something

The two have since successfully adapted their

similar in Zurich was almost tangible and

market concept for Rimini in collaboration with

we were simply the first ones to do it. We’re

various partners in the fields of gastronomy

happy that others are now doing it in other

and creation in Zurich: Frau Gerolds Garten,

Swiss cities too because it creates generally

the Street Food Festival, Heilger Bimbam!

more awareness.”

Christmas market at Club Plaza, and, this year for the first time, a new Christmas market on

Vania Kukleta believes that all of the markets

the plaza in front of the opera house.

and festivals she’s involved in are more than mere

“At each of these great locations, we create a 20

kind of stage for creative people to showcase what they do and to present their products.

„At great locations, we create a kind of stage for creative people to showcase what they do and to present their products.“

things.

places

sell

“Increasingly

many people are again searching for high-quality products and are interested in knowing who manufactures them. They

It could be a food truck with bio-burgers,

want to experience something unique too.” A

vintage fashions or original artworks,” says

few success stories from Mercatino Rimini and

Vania Kukleta. In the meantime, a good mix of

her other projects illustrate how lucrative and

professionals and amateurs has become very

fulfilling this can turn out to be: “Some people

important to her because “it creates a good

started out selling their handcrafted goods at

vibe.”

our markets and now they run their own stores in town.”

Vania Kukleta calls herself an “entrepreneur” in

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to

the fields of culture, gastronomy, trends and

CONTACT

communications. “My passion and greatest

Salon

expertise are to build platforms and to put

Weststrasse 20, CH-8003 Zürich

interesting products, people and stories on

www.salutsalon.ch

them.” She finds their themes in the develop-

www.montagsmarkt.ch

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New Frame for Digital Art | Digital Agency Y7K In the future, art will be put on display on our screens. That’s why Yves Sinka and Ruben Feurer, partners at digital agency Y7K, created their online gallery Neverland Space.

Colorful and dreamlike worlds to dive into, animated and playful forms that take over the screen, virtual sculptures that users can interact with: digital art allows a new kind of experience outside traditional institutions, simply and conveniently on one’s own monitor. “Digital art forms are still in the early stages of their development,” says Yves Sinka, who created Neverland Space digital gallery with Ruben Feurer and two other partners under the roof of Zurich-based digital agency Y7K. “There are plenty of exciting artists, but too little space to showcase their work. That’s why

we created our gallery to make digital art more

anyone wants to create spaces to showcase

approachable.”

it. “Some years ago, I organized temporary exhibitions with another partner. We constant-

Fast-paced technological progress, consu-

ly had to ask ourselves how many pieces we

ming content like news and movies on por-

would need to sell in order to be able to pay the

table screens, and, of course, working at the

rent and organize the next exhibition. We had

computer make up a significant part of our

to take this into consideration early on and to

daily routine, but to experience art on displays

think about potential buyers for this picture or

is still rather new. Yves Sinka thinks it’s much timelier than going to a museum and looking at Old Masters. “Both have their value, of course, but digital art allows us to interact 24

that sculpture.” There’s

„There are plenty of exciting artists, but too little space to showcase their work.

That’s why we created our gallery to make digital art more approachable“

much more freedom with Neverland Space.

Dealing with digital art also influences the way the work is divided at the agency, where

with the artworks on another level. And via the

Yves Sinka takes care of clients and Ruben

internet, they can be made available to many

Feurer is responsible for art direction. “We lost

people all around the world.”

some inhibitions as far as the use of daring aesthetics and technology goes,” says Feurer.

It is also on the internet where the founders of

“Digital art is a source of inspiration for us in

Neverland Space search for new artists and, if

many ways now.”

interested, approach them. “Often enough we just skype with them or send them an email, only rarely do we visit their studios,” explains Ruben Feurer. “But we love to talk with them about new artworks for our gallery. We expect them to come up with something that’s technically advanced and unique. That’s important

CONTACT

to us.”

Digital Agency Y7K Zurlindenstrasse 134

Art schools, Yves Sinka says, are full of stu-

CH-8003 Zürich

dents who want to create art, but scarcely

www.y7k.com

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Master of the Dough | John Baker Jens Jung opened his John Baker Bakery in the heart of Zurich with the simple intention of offering the best bread in town. For this purpose, he uses only local, seasonally sourced ingredients.

The John Baker shop is located just a few minutes’ walk from the opera house and Lake Zurich.

Inside, young folks mix ingredients and work the dough for different sorts of bread, Tirol style cake, or the base for a vegetarian pizza. The master of the oven is Jens Jung, who opened the bakery in 2014 with his partners and with the vision of working only with the finest ingredients.

“We’d like to demonstrate that you can actually find a location in the middle of town and make it work sustainably and successfully.”

And people seem to enjoy it. Soon after the

All ingredients for the baked goods are bio-

opening, lines began to form out into the cour-

certified. “I visit our suppliers myself and try to

tyard. A few months later, John Baker already

buy everything from them directly. There’s no

served 1,500 costumers daily and delivered

need for middlemen, packers or truckers to

freshly baked goods to between 12 and 15

get involved. It needn’t always be absolutely

whole-food shops and cafés around town.

perfect, but I only want the best.” The shop’s

“We’re very happy about the great response,

merchandise should correspond with what

but we strive to get even better at what we do.

customers like and also with what’s trendy,

We work with seasonal products that we source

locally

and

we constantly try out new recipes. We even grow our own yeast.”

The bread has always 28

which is why there

„We strive to get even better at what we do. We work with seasonal products that we source locally and we constantly try out new recipes.

We even grow our own yeast.“

are vegan products or breads made from long-forgotten varieties of grain.

As increasingly many people become dis-

remained the primary focal point for Jens Jung,

satisfied with industrially manufactured bread

who still passionately strives to make the best

and begin to look for breads that have been

from the three simple ingredients of flour, salt

prepared with love and produced with authen-

and water. “Over the years, I’ve learned how

ticity, John Baker has definitely struck a nerve.

to make good dough.” His father founded the

That’s why a second location is scheduled to

successful Jung Bakery, and Jens used to

open on Helvetiaplatz in the late fall.

work for the family business. He spent many hours of his childhood and adolescence in the baker’s shop. He even worked side by side with his father for 13 years and learned the basics of baking.

The baking now happens in a rather limited

CONTACT

space at John Baker bakeshop. The store

John Baker

shares this space with the bakery itself and all

Stadelhoferstrasse 28

its ovens and machinery. This enables custo-

CH-8001 Zürich

mers to watch the bakers at work.

www.johnbaker.ch

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Further information

Map of Zurich

Jen Dale www.bigdaddyella.com/shop www.fallingwhistles.com jendalewho bigdaddyella

ZURICH NORTH

Lisa Ochsenbein | Pumpipumpe www.lisaochsenbein.ch www.pumpipumpe.ch/map/page_v2

Schönstaub GmbH c/o Celina Pafumi Jen Dale Lagerstrasse 93 CH-8004 Zürich

Patrick Hohmann | Werenbach Watches

Vania Kukleta | Salon 32

www.wienachtsdorf.ch www.zampark.ch www.street-food-festival.ch

Patrick Hohmann Atelier Werenbach Limmatquai 56 CH-8001 Zürich

LIMMAT

Novel „Werenbachs Uhr“ www.bilgerverlag.ch ZURICH WEST

Lisa Ochsenbein Pumpipumpe Atelier Gerold Geroldstrasse 31/33 CH-8005 Zürich

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CITY CENTER

NIEDERDORF

popcornjohnny johndoezuerich kech-Collective Yves Sinka, Ruben Feurer | Digital Agency Y7K www.neverlandspace.com

SIHL Y. Sinka, R. Feurer Digital Agency Y7K Zurlindenstrasse 134 CH-8003 Zürich

SEEFELD

ENGE

ZÜRICHSEE

Jens Jung | John Baker www.hotpasta.ch www.fintan.ch www.sennerei-bachtel.ch www.hansundwurst.ch www.kleinefreiheit.ch www.ultimobacio.ch

Vania Kukleta Salon Weststrasse 20 CH-8003 Zürich

Jens Jung John Baker Stadelhoferstrasse 28 CH-8001 Zürich

Imprint © 2015 häberlein & mauerer ag for Zurich Tourism Photos: Adrian Bretscher / Hangar Ent. Group GmbH Text: Jeremy Gloor Graphics: Kristin Abeln

CONTACT International Media Team Zurich Tourism Tel. +41.44 215 40 96

Stampfenbachstrasse 52

media@zuerich.com

CH-8006 Zürich

www.zuerich.com 34

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PRESS CONTACT Johanna Broese

häberlein & mauerer ag

Tel. +49.30.726 208-209

Rosenthaler Straße 52

johanna.broese@haebmau.de D-10178 Berlin

PRESS MATERIAL Zurich Tourism Information for media: www.zuerich.com/medien Image gallery and video material: www.zuerich.com/bilder E-Book and press material Themed Dossier: www.zuerich.com/themendossier Copyright Page 19 | Portrait Katja & Vania: @ Lukas Lienhard Page 21 | Street Food Festival: @ Tobias Stahel All other images: © Zurich Tourism

F A L L www.zuerich.com