Alles Wird Besetzt
Zürich, ongoing
On February 16, 2023, the Zürich police arrived at the Koch Areal, a former train factory that had been occupied for a decade. With loudhailers announcing their presence, officers gave squatters a final warning to leave. By the end of the day, the site was cleared and given back to city officials.
Roughly 40 of the squatters, who had lived in vans and trucks, relocated to Hardturmplatz—a lot known as La Rotonda, left vacant since the demolition of the Hardturm stadium in 2008. Here, amidst the foggy chill of February, the residents began rebuilding their lives.
La Rotonda slowly transformed into an autonomous zone. Music filled the air after the connection to the electricity main, wagons were repurposed into workshops, tattoo studios, and shared spaces. Over time, residents established a kitchen, showers, and a concert tent. Gardens and plants softened the barren landscape, turning a desolate lot into an alternative village.
At the heart of La Rotonda lies a rejection of Zürich’s soaring housing costs. Switzerland is grappling with an acute housing crisis, especially in urban centers. Zürich ranks as the city with the highest housing bubble risk globally, with rents for one-room apartments reaching a colossal 11,700 CHF.
The squatters of La Rotonda represent an extreme response to this crisis. Most have lived in squats since their youth. “Outside here I have to work, everything costs money, and the police hate me,” Ramon, a 42-year-old truck driver, told me. For him and many others, their wagons symbolize freedom, a home and a way of life.
Nevertheless, La Rotonda’s future remains unclear. The settlement is illegal but tolerated, with residents granted temporary permits by the city administration. These permissions, renewed quarterly or so, feel like a precarious lifeline.
Plans for the area remain in limbo. A proposal to build a new stadium and high-rise apartments has stagnated. Suggestions to use the site as a refugee camp have been vetoed. Meanwhile, La Rotonda survives as a microcosm of Zürich’s housing crisis. Its residents—students, artists, construction workers, and more—form a diverse and self-reliant community.
Life in La Rotonda is far from easy. Winter brings harsh conditions, and the threat of eviction looms. Yet, the squatters persist, guided by their motto: “alles wird gut besetzt” (“everything will be good squatted”). For them, squatting is more than a necessity—it’s a philosophy, a way to reclaim sterile spaces and create something meaningful.
