Ambitious plans for interim use of parts of former Landis+Gyr site

Last Thursday the director of planning in the city of Zug, André Wicki, announced what plans there were for the interim use of some buildings on the former Landis+Gyr site.

These include a sports and recreational area, an event hall, a food market and also a museum, the building with the colourful façade in the computer- generated photograph.

Wicki said that, with this interim period, which would extend to 2022, the city of Zug would be able to compete with similar attractions in Zurich and Lucerne on the culinary and cultural fronts.

At present the Siemens company is still using one of the earmarked buildings on the site for production purposes, but this will come to an end soon, whereupon Micha Federle, who runs the Pointbreak live-marketing agency in Zurich, and who has been responsible, among other projects, for fondue huts, temporary garden cafés, various sports events and the setting up of a static surf wave at the Mall of Switzerland after the previous organiser pulled out, will be able to start implementing his ambitious plans.

Plans for one of the buildings, the Shedhalle, include a food hall with 16 stands and seating for 500 over an area of 3,600 square metres, a recreational area with trampolines, for example, covering 2,000 square metres, and an event hall, able to hold 1,800, to be hired out to those holding seminars or cultural events and such like. As to the food on offer, this would be all be top quality fayre, with an area set aside for cooking classes, too. Already he has had enquiries from no fewer than ten parties interested. What he is keen to do is ensure that, while adults may be busy with cooking, children can enjoy the facilities of the play area, for which a possible provider has also already been found. Now the search is on for a few sponsors. If all goes well, it could all be up and running by as soon as may next year.

In the other building on the site, the Modi Museum of Diversity and Inclusion, from where there will be a direct link to the Shedhalle building, is to open. The man behind this unconventional project is Andreas Heinicke, who is known as the most successful social entrepreneur of Germany and who has been operating in this area around the world for the past 30 years, the main idea being to help those on the edge of society. So far, he has lured as many as 10 million people to events he has organised, leading to 10,000 jobs being created. It is such events as “Dialogue in the Dark” and “Dialogue in Silence”, that blind and deaf people are engaged. Indeed, he was also behind the Blind Cow restaurant, where diners eat in the dark.

As to how he came across Switzerland and Zug, he said this had come about through contacts with the Marc Rich Foundation, Marc Rich (1934-2013) being the founder of the company which later became Glencore. With this Modi Museum, Heinicke wants to highlight what it is like for people who are dependent on wheelchairs, or blind, or deaf. With this Zug project, he is looking to luring as many as 130,000 visitors a year. At present Heinecke, too, is looking for sponsors.