ETH Zurich Main Building

The main building of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, known by its initials ETH, sits on the slope of the Zürichberg above the old town, and its long neoclassical facade is one of the great landmarks of the city. The institute was founded in 1855 as the Federal Polytechnic, and the building was designed by Gottfried Semper, the German architect who also planned the opera house in Dresden. It was completed in the 1860s and given a prominent site overlooking the river and the lake, a statement of the importance the young Swiss federal state placed on science and technical education.

In the early twentieth century the building was extended by the architect Gustav Gull, who added new wings and a large dome above the central section. The result is a monumental complex arranged around courtyards, with an imposing entrance hall and broad staircases. The dome, visible from many parts of the city, gives the institution a distinctive silhouette. The combination of Semper's disciplined classical style and Gull's grander additions makes the building a good example of the way a university could express its ambitions in stone.

The institute has an extraordinary record of research and teaching. Albert Einstein studied at the Polytechnic, and the list of Nobel laureates associated with the school, as students or as professors, is long, ranging across physics, chemistry and other fields. That history gives the corridors a special charm, even though the building is a working university where students hurry between lectures and gather in halls to study.

Visitors are welcome to walk in and look around. The public areas, including the entrance hall, the staircases and the long corridors, are open during the day, and the atmosphere is one of calm activity. Inside the building is the Graphische Sammlung, a collection of prints and drawings that can be visited by arrangement. Outside, the terrace in front of the building, known as the Polyterrasse, offers one of the best views over the old town, the Limmat and the Alps, and it is a favourite place for students and visitors.

A short funicular, the Polybahn, links the building with the Central square below, and the walk down through the old town takes only a few minutes. Opening hours differ between weekdays and weekends, and some areas may be closed during exams or events, so check before you go.