Ringier redesigns its press house

For almost 40 years, the Pressehaus at Dufourstrasse 23 in Zurich has been the headquarters of the media and technology company Ringier, which operates in 19 countries. On April 11, 1978, the beige-metallic building was opened by then Federal Councilor Kurt Furgler. In 2015, the last major renovation took place in the reception area and on the second floor when Energy Group Switzerland moved in. Finally, BlickTV was integrated into the newsroom in 2019/2020. Today, the press building offers 500 individual workplaces and around 300 conference and meeting places.

Since the introduction of the hybrid work model at Ringier in May 2022, the requirements for technical equipment as well as the optimal utilization of the available floor space have changed fundamentally. Management, the Board of Directors and the owning family are taking this into account. Starting in 2023, a modernization of the interior of the six-story press building is on the agenda.

In collaboration with the Hamburg-based architecture and interior design firm Stephen Williams Associates, which has designed the offices of Facebook and Twitter in Berlin, Boston Consulting in Hamburg, and Accenture in Hamburg, Essen, and Geneva, among others, work is currently underway on scenarios and plans for Dufourstrasse 23 so that in the future there will be sufficient space for inspiring encounters, creativity, collaboration, art, and culinary delights. The wish list of the company's management and employees includes an auditorium as well as sufficient space for innovation and learning labs, enough exhibition space for art exhibits, and an inviting area for entertaining employees and guests.

Art as a central component

"Contemporary art is and remains a central part of Ringier's DNA. Over 200 works of art accompany employees in their daily lives." the company communicates. At Ringier, art is not just decoration and more than just the passion of publisher Michael Ringier, who says: "I go to a museum with the intention of looking at art and thus deliberately expose myself to a situation. It's different in a company, where art hopefully intrudes unobtrusively into people's everyday lives. It has a completely different effect. It is simply there. It just hangs on the wall and it influences our perception in a very discreet way. Art asks questions, journalism asks questions, and that's the only way we have a chance to come up with new answers."

"The new press building will be more open, more modern, more fun and more artistic," says CEO Marc Walder of the structural changes. "Over the past 15 years, Ringier has transformed itself from a traditional publishing house into an international, modern media and technology company. The new press building will reflect this. We offer our employees a working environment that combines modernity, innovation, agility and collaboration under one roof."

The conversion schedule assumes an implementation window of around three years. Construction will start in 2023 after all permits have been issued.