In 1973, Zurich’s industrial quarter was a grey and dreary place. The newly inaugurated Hardbrücke bridge brought additional noise and exhaust fumes. A typical product of the car-first urban planning of the boom years, the concrete colossus ate its way like a gigantic wedge from Hardplatz in district 4 over the railway tracks right through the industrial district to Wipkingerplatz. The universally unloved air polluter contributed significantly to cementing the negative image of concrete in people’s minds. In the wake of the oil crisis and the emerging environmental movement, the bridge quickly fell into disrepute.

What a difference half a century and a thorough architectural facelift make. Set against a regenerated post-industrial skyline of railway lines, the sleek new Prime Tower and container-stacked Freitag Tower, Hardbrücke bridge now defines urban cool. While cars still dominate, they have to share the space with a tram line, cyclists and pedestrians.