Züri Kocht

In a time where new housing and institutions are being built,
gentrification is spreading in all directions and the city centre is being
socially cleansed, ideological squats oppose an alternative and
parallel way of living. The most prominent and recent example in the
city of Zurich is Koch Areal (2013-202?). The squat is organized
through the logic of kitchens, which at the same time are the most
important common – pool resource. Other elements such as the
rooftop terrace, the staircase, the café or the workshop are common
recourses in squats were already mentioned in publications in the
1980s. The appropriation of space, the spontaneous interventions
and decisions are a central part of squatting. Through
institutionalization the aspect of temporality- which in squats plays a
crucial role – is eliminated and therefore many qualities of the
communal living get lost.