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Chief Investment Officer, Olten/CH |
Swiss Prime Site AG is Switzerland’s first specialist real estate investment company. Its portfolio of around 3.7 billion Swiss Francs has been created on the basis of a real-estate-picking strategy and comprises top-class commercial properties at selected Swiss business locations. Consistent implementation of this strategy has led to the establishment of one of the most homogeneous property portfolios in Switzerland, which includes the Messeturm Basel, the Cityport complex in Zurich-Oerlikon, Bern Arena or Sihlcity in Zurich (3/2007). In April 2008, the latter was awarded a prize at the European Shopping Center Awards in Amsterdam in the category New Developments. Basically, the "shopping city" Sihlcity is the implementation of a very fundamental idea of urbanity which implies uniting different uses at one manageable location. Architect Theo Hotz has succeeded in transforming Sihlcity into a dense whole of old and new architecture. The 60-metre high chimney, a relic of the old paper mill, is Sihlcity’s striking emblem. A total of four factory buildings have been carefully renovated, such as the former sheeting and packaging centre which today provides space for cultural events. The result is a skilful play of tradition and innovation, large and small scale, narrowness and vastness, weightiness and lightness. On around 100’000 m2 of useable surface, the multiple offerings include amongst others 13 restaurants and food outlets, around 80 shops, a multiplex movie theatre, a fitness/wellness and health centre, service areas, housing and a hotel.
One of Swiss Prime Site’s other exciting projects is the Prime Tower. It has already become clear that its design, by Zurich’s renowned architectural office Gigon/Guyer, will become a branding object par excellence. It will be vastly influential and have a lasting impact on its surroundings and on the cityscape. As yet only at the stage of design, superlatives such as "exceptional" and "outstanding" are being heaped upon the126-metre high Prime Tower in Western Zurich. And it seems clear why: on 36 floors, Zurich‘s new landmark sets a new benchmark for commercial property as regards architecture, transparency, influence and technical perfection. The Prime Tower Zurich is located right in the city centre, on the area formerly occupied by the Maag cogwheel factory. The precise spot where Zurich has been redefined over the past few years. With the realisation of the Prime Tower, further investors are simultaneously planning hundreds of new apartments, parks and gardens, shops and bars. The Prime Tower octagon was unanimously selected as the winning project in a competition which brought together an international array of renowned architects. The decision in favour of the architectural practice Gigon/Guyer was due amongst others to "the crystalline exterior which sets it apart from its environment, the fine movements and protrusions, the multiple usability of the pragmatically large ground plan and the static concept with the pre-stressed ceilings". With its annexes Cubus and Diagonal, the Prime Tower forms an architectural and practical whole. According to Gigon/Guyer, with its heterogeneous mix of office and business world, cultural life and gastronomy, it should echo Zurich’s dynamic West End. The opening is expected to be in 2011.
Peter Lehmann has been Chief Investment Officer of Swiss Prime Site since 2002. He moved to the Credit Suisse Group from a general contractor in 1984, assuming responsibility for building management for the real estate investment elements of the Asset Management Division in 1990, and has been responsible for the acquisition and development of properties for Swiss Prime Site AG and other real estate products since 1998.
Valid as of: 27.5.2008