MM – Technical renovation of the canteen and multi-purpose building

In recent years, ETH Zurich has grown rapidly in the areas of teaching, research and knowledge transfer. And while the size of the student body is expected to continue growing rapidly, the federal financial contribution will, at best, only increase slightly due to the predicted impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In light of these circumstances, ETH Zurich expects to have less financial flexibility in the future.

Accordingly, ETH Zurich¡¯s Executive Board has re-evaluated its planning projects and decided to suspend the renovation and extension project for the canteen and multi-purpose building, including the Polyterrasse.

The MM building complex and Polyterrasse will therefore remain in their current state and will not be extended and renovated as previously planned. The multi-level temporary canteen that was to be built above Karl-Schmid-Strasse will not go ahead either. This will give ETH Zurich the flexibility it needs to move forward with other important construction projects, particularly those that directly benefit teaching, research and knowledge transfer.

Moving forward

In the short term, the essential renovations (e. g. fire protection) and technical maintenance (e. g. ventilation in spaces used for sport activities) will be completed in an initial phase. The planning will take place this year, followed by implementation over the next few years.

In addition, a new project will be started in the next two years to determine how ETH Zurich can renovate the MM and Polyterrasse cost-effectively no earlier than 2028, using existing structures and without structural extension.