In the spirit of the avant-garde
“Many cities today try to be cool. And Zürich is the opposite. There’s a certain indifference there, a kind of urban self-assurance, but it’s very understated. The quality of life is simply great, especially given the duality of being a big city while still being close to nature,” says Leopold Weinberg. He has had close ties to the city since birth: The Zürich native studied at the renowned ETH Zürich, where his father, Franz Weinberg, once established the Institute for Operations Research, and earned his degree at the ETH Studio Basel under Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. After working abroad, he founded WAC Advisory GmbH in Zürich together with lawyer Adrian Hagenbach, a content-driven real estate development firm. Since then, the duo and their team have enriched the cities of Zürich and Basel with creative usage concepts for historic sites. These are more than just places to linger – ranging from apartments to mixed-use buildings to their own boutique hotels, such as the Helvetia in Zürich or the Volkshaus in Basel. Always a significant part of the whole: a love for contemporary art. The platform “wacollection.ch,” which he founded, is also groundbreaking, connecting art collectors, artists, and art lovers worldwide. This digital platform aims to lower the barrier to art, contributing to the democratization of the art industry.
Where can you meet someone as fascinating as Leopold Weinberg to chat with him about Zürich and his commitment to creativity and craftsmanship? Stylish spaces for intellectual exchange have become rare in our fast-paced times. For this reason, Zürich Tourism and Stylepark, in cooperation with COR Berlin, conceived “Friends of Zürich” in Frankfurt – an event that draws on the avant-garde salon tradition and invites personalities from architecture, design, art & culture, as well as law and finance, to a shared evening. The setting was the private apartment of Robert Volhard, architect, founder, and board member of Stylepark, and his wife Patricia, an attorney and partner at the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. “A mid-century dream of stainless steel and Kambala wood,” AD Magazine recently summarized, referring to the penthouse of a Frankfurt Wilhelminian-style building renovated by B.A.S. Architekten and Holzrausch. In short: the perfect setting for an evening in a class of its own. With this in mind, the 40 invited guests were treated to refined culinary delights by Stefan Jäckel, head chef of the gourmet restaurant La Rôtisserie at the premium Hotel Storchen in Zürich, located directly on the Limmat River. With a glass of sparkling wine from the Schwarzenbach winery on Lake Zürich in hand, the distinguished group gathered in front of the apartment’s elegant fireplace to listen to the conversation between Robert Volhard and Leopold Weinberg.
During their conversation, the guest of honor shared his enthusiasm for color and materials, as well as his conviction that art can be not merely a representation, but rather an abstraction. A love of contemporary art that has grown with him since childhood. As has the playful, sometimes cheeky use of accents with which he aims to offer (hotel) guests of the “artist rooms” he curates a dynamic experience – much like the “Room for Art” initiative, an antithesis to a museum’s White Cube. “Art belongs in everyday life. Spending time with art in a private space like a hotel room changes your relationship to the work; a new dimension emerges,” he says. The multifaceted communication of quality also involves forward-thinking in interior design. Weinberg calls this the “leather jacket principle.” He says, “We use high-quality materials that develop an appealing patina through frequent use. A good leather jacket becomes more beautiful with use. In our context, this has the advantage that we don’t have to renovate every two years. This principle can be applied to many areas.”
Zürich, with a population of approximately 454,000, is Switzerland’s most populous city and offers him the ideal base: “Zürich is a place where many international people feel at home. We have a vibrant gallery scene, the Art Weekend in June – the largest festival for contemporary art in Switzerland – and Art Basel is just a stone’s throw away.” The metropolitan region along the picturesque Limmat River has always been a hotspot for the artistic and political avant-garde, giving rise to Dadaism as well as influential graphic design, photography, and typography. When asked which three figures from Zürich’s past he would like to spend an evening with, Leopold Weinberg doesn’t have to think long and selects three women from the region’s history whose life’s work he finds fascinating: As the first lady, he would like to invite the German-Swiss artist and poet Meret Oppenheim (1913–1985) for a conversation, one of the most important representatives of Surrealism. Hildegard (828–856), daughter of Louis the German and the first abbess of the Fraumünster in Zürich, would be his second choice. A lady of the city from the royal Benedictine abbey, who was also known as the “Princess of Zürich” and had a significant influence on the region’s political and economic developments. As his third guest, he names Lux (Louise) Guyer (1894–1955), who, as the first female architect in Switzerland, opened her own office in Zürich in 1924. Her work contributed to a renewal of middle-class residential culture, taking into account the housing needs of single and working women as well as older people. She served as chief architect for the first Swiss exhibition of women’s work, SAFFA, in Bern. “She designed incredibly beautiful residential buildings on Lake Zürich – not ostentatious, but beautiful spaces, combining elegance and functionality,” says Weinberg.
An exciting imaginary circle that would have been a perfect fit for the current guests of “Friends of Zürich” in Frankfurt am Main. Late into the night, they philosophized, chatted, and discussed challenges, opportunities, and ideas, accompanied by wonderful wines from Lake Zürich and an elegant flying dinner, for which chef Stefan Jäckel, with his usual confidence, imaginatively combined traditional and contemporary influences into a delightful culinary experience. His creations have already been awarded 17 Gault & Millau points and a Michelin star. An expertise that delighted the guests, from mackerel with Asian-flavored caviar to ravioli filled with salted lemon and artichoke in saffron broth, to strawberries with elderflower. An inspiring evening in every respect, one that will remain in our memories and serves as the kickoff for further interdisciplinary platforms, where visionary leaders help shape the future.
We were delighted to strengthen the network between Zürich and Frankfurt am Main with the “Friends of Zürich” salon evening and would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all guests, partners, and contributors!
