Planning Competitions – Canton Zurich

As Switzerland's most populous canton, Zurich is also its most active in architecture and planning competitions. Cities like Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Dübendorf and Schlieren regularly issue projects: schools, sports facilities, neighbourhood planning and cultural buildings. The City of Zurich's Building Department (AHB) is a national benchmark for high-quality, transparent procurement.

Most competitions run as open project competitions under SIA Ordinance 142. School buildings account for around 30% of all cantonal competitions, driven by strong population growth. Selective procedures with pre-qualification are standard for projects above CHF 5 million.

Current priorities include densification in the Limmattal, transformation of industrial sites to mixed-use and climate-resilient renovation of public buildings. ETH Zurich and ZHAW are regular clients for educational facilities. Both national and international firms regularly participate in Zurich competitions.