ZÜRICH: BENEATH RESTRAINT, A RIVER OF DESIRE

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It shouldn’t be all that hard to have a nice time in Zürich. After all, the Swiss city sits on a lake and is nestled into an idyllic Alpine landscape. I've always imagined life there to be pleasant, but also a bit stuffy. When you come from a city where people tend to draw their creativity from friction, excess, and chaos, anything that seems to convey moral restraint seems boring. But in Zürich, a river of desire flows beneath every ethos of restraint. And it surfaces in motorcycles gathered above the lake at Outlook Waid, through bodies suspended over the Limmat, and past smoke collecting amid the industrial concrete of Escher Wyss, overshadowed by the glass austerity of Prime Tower. Zürich was built on the management of excess, not its suppression.

I had only 72 hours there, but these came with the best possible guides by my side: Zürich Tourism on the one hand, and Pierluigi Macor on the other, driving me around town in his vintage Jaguar, the city revealing itself to me in flashes. Here are my favorites.

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To witness the search for the absolute, you must pass the Gates of Hell

At Kunsthaus Zürich. Outside, 186 figures distorted by sin, suffering, and despair wind their way around Auguste Rodin’s 20-foot-tall bronze monument, while inside, beyond its sweeping Hodler Hall, the Kunsthaus houses the world's most significant collection of Alberto Giacometti's work. He claims that, in creating his spindly figurines, he was searching for the Absolute. Many ventured into this quest, but not many have come as close as he did.

Scour the bookshelves for an old, rare copy of Du magazine

At Biblion Antiquariat. When in Zürich, clearly the magazine you should aspire to acquire is Du. I’m afraid deciding which issue to get won't be easy, as the quaint vintage bookstore on Spiegelgasse holds 750 copies, spanning from multiple decades (Du got first published in 1941), and topics that never lose their capacity to intrigue. The radiating pull Du holds is much owed to its idiosyncratic layout, adored by many.

The meal that will support your body while showcasing Zürich’s regionality

You’ll get at Roter Delfin, where everything is made from Swiss soil. Yet, because of their creative fusion kitchen, nothing tastes traditional. To get a sense of what is possible even though cooking with only one country's seasonal produce, make sure to order the Tasting Menu (six shared dishes, plus dessert). With every plate served, the staff walks you through all the ingredients down to their exact source. The owners even head out to the surrounding fields themselves to hand-pick fruit and vegetables. On top of only using organic and Demeter-quality produce, nearly everything is fermented, so I'd consider a dinner with friends here to count as healthmaxxing, without skimping on flavor.

Lenin wore a wig to have a talk with Dadaists about socialism

...at Cabaret Voltaire. At least that’s what the Dadaists told everyone, when they found out years later, that Lenin had been living just across the street at Spiegelgasse. Suddenly, all of them could swear they remembered a mysterious man of striking resemblance to Lenin, always eager to indulge in political theory. Visit the exhibition DadaZwischenSprachen to learn more about this radical art form born in exile. True to what they preached, not even the meaning of Dada is settled: in French, it's what children call their hobbyhorse; in German, it's a very plain way of saying "there it is". Afterwards, have a drink at the artist bar, where Hugo Ball once hypnotized his audience with a poem in an invented language, to decide for yourself which versions of the many stories around Dada you prefer. On your way home, look for Spiegelgasse 14, Lenin's old address.

Normally, your city trip should not lead you to the police station

In Zürich, I hope it does. Enter the police headquarters of Zürich, and the vaulted ceiling of the entrance hall. The Blümlihalle, as locals fondly call it, unfolds above you: a vibrant fresco of abstract floral shapes, steeping the space in gloomy yet luminous world of geometric patterns and ornamental blossoms. When Gustave Gull was commissioned in 1900 to convert a former orphanage into the police headquarters, the City of Zürich launched a competition for artists to paint the ceilings of the former cellar. Unsurprisingly, it was won by a Giacometti. Augusto, another relative. For those, like me, interested in the family tree: Augusto was the cousin of Giovanni Giacometti, who was the father of Alberto, Diego, and Bruno.

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In case you’re having eyesight troubles, you won’t even be able to see

...the thinnest shrimp slices known to mankind, served in the cozy, subdued atmosphere of the Bauernschänke. Here, you're cooked for by a chef with a background in luxury gastronomy, yet the hospitality feels homely and unpretentious. Be sure to save room for dessert and try the Schoggimousse with passion fruit and nougat crumble.

Touch some grass, only to lose touch with reality right after

...in the Rieterpark, where you can't help but envision yourself as a member of one of the two families to whom the opulent yet elegant grounds once belonged: first the Wesendoncks, then the Rieters. Their estate once hosted Richard Wagner, who lived in a nearby cottage on the grounds and became deeply infatuated with Mathilde Wesendonck. He composed his Wesendonck Lieder there, setting her poems to music. You can thank the city of Zürich, who acquired the precinct area and transformed it into a public museum and sanctuary, for the fact that this can now be your retreat.

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Switzerland's oldest bank, Bank Leu, now houses Audemars Piguet

Conceived in the neo-Renaissance idiom with Jugendstil inflections that Otto and Werner Pfister favored for Zürich's grand commercial architecture of the 1910s, the former banking hall of Zürich's Leuenhof on Bahnhofstrasse is now under historical protection. Its impressive interior and exterior fully preserved, it currently houses the store of Audemars Piguet. To see the space and try on which AP fits your wrist best, make sure to book an appointment beforehand.

Recommendations for going out, one way or another, always led back to the Rote Fabrik

…,where legendary concerts by Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers once took place (so Pierluigi told me, while photographing the graffiti-sprayed toilets), and the Shedhalle is hosting various action performances and critical exhibitions. Until 1940, it was a silk-weaving mill; the factory halls then stood empty for years, until Zürich's youth movement decided to do something about it. Longing for an independent cultural space, they saw it as the perfect site, but the authorities tried to ignore their demands. The youth wouldn't be shaken off so easily: demonstrations and riots followed, until they finally succeeded. No weekend or evening is ever quite the same here, a refreshing change from Berlin clubnights, that sometimes tend to be rather monotonous and interchangeable. For Swiss' national holiday, which is today on August 1st by the way, they're hosting a Queer Bay Day: a political LGBTQIA+ summer festival, on the square behind Rote Fabrik, in the Shedhalle, and in the Clubraum.

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Enjoy your day at the lake with the Swiss cuisine snack of your choice, and a glance at Le Corbusier's final masterpiece

If you ever wanted to truly savour a traditional St. Galler Bratwurst, it’s definitely at the Sternen Grill stand on the shore of the tantalizing Lake Zürich. If you’re a vegetarian, order the Älplermagronen (Swiss cheese macaroni served with roasted onions) or Chässpätzl for take-away. From there, take an easy 1.5 km stroll along the lakeshore to reach the Pavillon Le Corbusier. Finished two years after his own death, it was Le Corbusier’s last monument he built, and the only one he ever made entirely of glass and steel.

Mahogany meets Saffiano Leather

I know the Kronenhalle Bar might not be much of an insider tip, but let me play the role of an awestruck tourist for once. I had to linger on the mahogany paneled walls and ceilings paired with emerald-green Saffiano leather and illuminated by lamps Diego Giacometti (Alberto’s brother), designed specifically for this room. As you sip your French 75, don’t forget to also glance at the Picasso on the wall. Yes, it’s an original.

Before you leave, make sure to eat your bodyweight in

...Swiss cheese, of course. Swiss chocolate is also fine. I'd recommend a balanced mix of both. My list of recommendations wouldn't be complete without them and in my opinion, one shouldn't miss the unique opportunity to be in a city where you can take the Fondue- or Schoggi-Tram. Of course, as a local, you'd probably never make any use of that. But as someone who only has 72 hours but wants to get to know a city, it's actually a fun 2-in-1 approach.

This editorial is a collaboration between 032c and Zürich.

Special thanks to Milica Miller, Kunsthaus Zürich, Museum Rietberg, and Prolitteris, Zürich.