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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.
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Preface Zurich on the Move 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
Borrowing from Next Door | Pumpipumpe
Page 06–09 // Cultural
With Class for a Good Cause | Jen Dale
Page 14–17 // Urban
Out Of This World Werenbach Watches
Page 26–29 // Natural
Master of the Dough | John Baker
Page 18–21 // Urban
A Fine Taste for Trends Vania Kukleta
Page 30–35
Information, Map, Imprint Map of Zurich
ZURICH NORTH
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
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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
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 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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Patrick Hohmann
Werenbachs Uhr Roman
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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.”
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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
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 Jen Dale www.bigdaddyella.com/shop www.fallingwhistles.com jendalewho bigdaddyella Lisa Ochsenbein | Pumpipumpe www.lisaochsenbein.ch www.pumpipumpe.ch/map/page_v2 Patrick Hohmann | Werenbach Watches Novel „Werenbachs Uhr“ www.bilgerverlag.ch Vania Kukleta | Salon 32
www.wienachtsdorf.ch www.zampark.ch www.street-food-festival.ch popcornjohnny johndoezuerich kech-Collective Yves Sinka, Ruben Feurer | Digital Agency Y7K www.neverlandspace.com Jens Jung | John Baker www.hotpasta.ch www.fintan.ch www.sennerei-bachtel.ch www.hansundwurst.ch www.kleinefreiheit.ch www.ultimobacio.ch
Map of Zurich
ZURICH NORTH
Schönstaub GmbH c/o Celina Pafumi Jen Dale Lagerstrasse 93 CH-8004 Zürich Patrick Hohmann Atelier Werenbach Limmatquai 56 CH-8001 Zürich
LIMMAT
ZURICH WEST Lisa Ochsenbein Pumpipumpe Atelier Gerold Geroldstrasse 31/33 CH-8005 Zürich
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CITY CENTER
SIHL Y. Sinka, R. Feurer Digital Agency Y7K Zurlindenstrasse 134 CH-8003 Zürich
SEEFELD
ENGE
ZÜRICHSEE
Vania Kukleta Salon Weststrasse 20 CH-8003 Zürich
NIEDERDORF
Jens Jung John Baker Stadelhoferstrasse 28 CH-8001 Zürich
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CONTACT International Media Team Zurich Tourism Tel. +41.44 215 40 96
Stampfenbachstrasse 52
media@zuerich.com
CH-8006 Zürich
www.zuerich.com 35
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häberlein & mauerer ag
Tel. +49.30.726 208-209
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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
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