Secret meeting place

Every day, thousands of people pass through the south wing of Zurich’s main railway station. Few realise that the ‘Au Premier’ bar and four conference rooms are located above them. An unassuming side entrance leads into the stately rooms of the building, which was constructed in 1871 and has been comprehensively refurbished by Aebi & Vincent Architects. When renovating the interiors, the architectural team took their cue from the original design.

Together with Candrian Catering and the architectural team, teo jakob developed bespoke furnishing solutions. These drew on the distinctive arch motif of the historic architecture. In the foyer, a seven-metre-long, leather-upholstered bench invites visitors to linger. Round marble tables and ‘Feel Good’ bar stools by Flexform echo the curved forms.

In the conference rooms, flexibility and comfort take centre stage. The ‘Hybrid Tables’ by horgenglarus can be arranged to form long tables, large work surfaces or a circular layout. The ‘Haefeli’ chairs with armrests and the stackable ‘Stapel’ chairs offer a variety of seating options. The simple black furniture provides a deliberate contrast to the light-coloured walls and the oak parquet flooring.

The bar has a completely different feel to it. Dark olive green, leather-upholstered benches and the ‘Morton’ lounge chairs by Wittmann create an intimate atmosphere. The furnishings are arranged to suit the varying ceiling heights: in the higher section, guests can sit on bar stools and enjoy the view of the hustle and bustle in the station, whilst the rear section invites them to relax and linger.

Adrian Scheidegger’s art concept, comprising 19 large-format black-and-white photographs, runs through all the rooms and links the different areas.

PhotographyPierre Kellenberger