Reimagining the Zett Haus

ETH Zurich
Studio Emerson
Spring 2022
With Oana Popescu

Reimagining the Zett Haus

ETH Zurich
Spring 2022
Studio Tom Emerson
With Oana Popescu


The Zett Haus (1930) was Zurich’s first mixed-use building driven by environmental principles, which were lost over the various alterations during its near 100-year lifetime.

This project reinstates them by tackling the Zett Haus’ two main problems - overheating of the primary facade and the lack of visitors to its cinema and commerce. A reconfiguration of the cinema layout turning it into a hybrid theatre-cinema, alongside a secondary external screening of the south facade re-imagines the relationship the Zett Haus has to its context, allowing it to embody its public identity once again.




The Zett Haus (1930) in central Zurich was the first mixed-used building driven by enrvironmental principles and designed by ETH’s first female Architecture graduate. Its intent was to perform for a new public life, yet this became lost over the various alternations during its near 100-year lifetime.

This proposal reinstates its original intention by tackling the Zett Haus’ two main problems - overheating of the primary facade and the lack of visitors to its cinema and commerce. A 180 degree reconfiguration of the cinema layout turning it into a hybrid theare-cinema, alongside a secondary external screening of the south facade reimagines the relationship the Zett Haus has to its context, allowing it to embody its public identity once again.