Zurich art school’s grand ambitions

The Zurich University of the Arts has moved into a stunning and expensive new  campus. Was it waste of state funds or a sign of excellence? (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

Zurich University of the Arts has a range of degree programmes and further education courses like music, dance, cinema and design.

As of September 2014 the 35 different educational facilities belonging to the University of the Arts were brought under one roof, in the Toni Areal complex.

The building, designed by EM2N architects, transformed the former Toni yoghurt processing plant in Zurich. Besides the Zurich University of the Arts, the building hosts a concert hall, a museum and an housing complex.

Canton Zurich was one of the main investors, contributing an estimated CHF775 million ($824 million). But will the Toni-Areal, with its perfect infrastructure forge the artistic talents of the future?

If for some in the art scene the new building might just embody the institutional side of the art world, for others, the new school is an opportunity to compete with cities famous for their art universities, like London and Berlin.