Open House: ETH opens its doors and archives

ETH Zurich is again taking part in this year¡¯s Open House event at which those interested will receive an inside view of a variety of public and private buildings throughout the Zurich area on the weekend of the 2 and 3 October. Exciting tours of the outdoor and indoor spaces of ETH Zurich await the visitors.

Insights into the observatory and development of the Zentrum campus

Through a walking tour of the Zentrum campus, participants will be taken on a journey through various architectural eras and learn more about the genesis of ETH Zurich and its structural development within the heart of Zurich. This year, special attention will be paid to one of ETH Zurich¡¯s oldest research buildings, the Semper Observatory. This historic building from the 1860s, along with its surroundings, has recently been renovated and serves in new splendour as a place of meeting or retreat.

In a special guided tour, the newest construction measures and the historical significance of the research building will be expounded upon. Spaces such as Semper¡¯s historic dome, in which Rudolf Wolf observed sunspots, and the solar tower, where Max Waldmeier concentrated on researching the outer atmosphere of the sun between 1951 and 1980, will be opened for this purpose.

As part of the guided tour, the public will also receive a glimpse of the observatory collection, which has grown to around 300 objects from the 16th to 20th centuries. Over the two days, prints of Semper¡¯s original architectural plans can be examined along with astronomical time-measuring equipment and historical photographic material of the building.  

Importance of green spaces for the H?nggerberg campus

Flora and fauna are the focus of the guided tour around the H?nggerberg campus. During a walk along various gardens and green areas, participants will learn more about the importance of green spaces for the people and animals on site, and gain insights into the many-faceted efforts of ETH Zurich to sustainably maintain and expand them.

New office concepts at Octavo

From the exterior to the interior: close to the H?nggerberg campus lies the Octavo office building in Oerlikon, where participants who are more interested in interior design can view the modern open-plan office space. In December of last year, staff from the Executive Board domains of Infrastructure as well as Personnel Development and Leadership moved into this space, where they are trying out a task-oriented office concept. Tour participants will get a glimpse into how work is done in such office environments and will learn about the different types of spaces for collaborative as well as solitary work. 

More information, including details on how to register for the guided tours included in the Open House event, is available at the following links:

• Discover the external page architecture of the Zentrum campus
• Tours around and within the external page observatory
• Visit the external page Octavo office building
• external page Flora and fauna on the H?nggerberg campus