Zürich’s Globus department store is poised to shed its retail skin and emerge as a vibrant public square, a transformation that could redefine how Swiss cities balance commercial necessity with communal space in an era of shifting consumer habits. The plan, currently under discussion by city planners and property owners, proposes relocating Coop’s ground-floor supermarket to the basement of the landmark building straddling Bahnhofstrasse and Central, freeing up the upper levels for publicly accessible areas, cultural programming, or flexible community use. While framed as a pragmatic response to evolving retail dynamics, the move touches on deeper questions about urban identity, the future of high-street commerce and how cities reclaim space for people when stores struggle to sustain themselves.
This isn’t merely about moving shelves downstairs. The Globus building, a Beaux-Arts icon completed in 1907, has long served as a physical and symbolic threshold between Zurich’s historic core and its modern transit hub. For over a century, its ornate facade and bustling interior have anchored Bahnhofstrasse—not just as Switzerland’s most expensive shopping street, but as a daily ritual for commuters, tourists, and locals alike. Yet today, even luxury retail faces headwinds: online sales now account for nearly 30% of Switzerland’s total retail volume, up from 18% just five years ago, according to Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Department stores, once cathedrals of consumerism, are increasingly seen as relics in a world where convenience and experience trump mere accumulation.
The proposal to shift Coop underground reflects a broader strategy seen in cities from Paris to Melbourne: repurposing ground-floor retail for uses that generate foot traffic without relying solely on sales. In Zurich’s case, the vision includes potential space for pop-up exhibitions, local markets, coworking nooks, or even urban gardening installations—ideas tested successfully in projects like Basel’s IBA Basel interim uses or Geneva’s Plateforme 10 cultural district. “We’re not fighting the decline of traditional retail,” explained urban planner Dr. Sabine Keller of ETH Zurich’s Future Cities Lab in a recent interview. “We’re asking what kind of social infrastructure can thrive in its place. Ground floors should serve people first, not profit margins alone.”
Critics, however, warn that such transitions risk accelerating the homogenization of urban centers if not carefully managed. “There’s a fine line between activating public space and creating sterile, over-programmed environments that feel more like corporate lobbies than genuine community hubs,” cautioned Zurich’s Deputy Mayor for Urban Development, André Odermatt, in a statement to the Tages-Anzeiger. “The danger lies in outsourcing curation to private interests who prioritize brand alignment over accessibility. True public space must remain open-ended, adaptable, and—critically—free from the expectation of consumption.”
Historically, Zurich has shown willingness to experiment with adaptive reuse. The transformation of the former Saffa-Island industrial site into a mixed-use cultural quarter, or the conversion of railway viaducts under the Löwenbräu complex into arts spaces, demonstrates a civic appetite for reimagining legacy infrastructure. Yet those projects benefited from clear public ownership or nonprofit stewardship. The Globus building remains privately held, raising questions about long-term governance and accountability. Who decides what constitutes “public use”? How will access be monitored or enforced? And what safeguards exist to prevent temporary interventions from becoming permanent privatization by stealth?
Economically, the shift could signal a recalibration of value in urban real estate. Ground-floor retail along Bahnhofstrasse currently commands rents exceeding 1,800 Swiss francs per square meter annually—among the highest in Europe. If successful, the Globus model might encourage other property owners to consider similar conversions, potentially stabilizing vacancy rates that have crept upward since 2020. Data from Wüest Partner shows Zurich’s retail vacancy rate rose to 8.2% in Q4 2025, up from 4.1% pre-pandemic, with nearly 60% of empty storefronts located on primary shopping streets. Repurposing even a fraction of these spaces for non-commercial use could alleviate pressure on struggling retailers while enriching the urban fabric.
the Globus provisorium isn’t just about one building’s renovation—it’s a litmus test for how Swiss cities navigate the tension between market forces and civic life. Will Zurich embrace the opportunity to create a truly democratic urban room, where lingerers aren’t suspected of loitering and benches aren’t designed to discourage prolonged sitting? Or will it settle for a softened version of retail, where publicness is performative and access remains subtly conditional? As the city weighs its options, the answer may hinge not on architectural renderings, but on a simpler question: whose comfort is being prioritized when we redesign the spaces between home and work?
What kind of public space do you imagine thriving where cash registers once stood? Share your vision for Zurich’s evolving streetscape below.
