Oerliker Park

Oerliker Park is a public district park in Oerlikon, in the north of Zurich, Switzerland. It covers roughly 17,500 square metres and was the first of four new parks built while a former industrial quarter was redeveloped.

What is Oerliker Park?

The landscape architects Studio Vulkan (formerly Schweingruber Zulauf) designed the park for the city's green space department, Grün Stadt Zürich. Construction ran from 1999 to 2001. S. Hubacher handled the architecture and Ch. Haerle the sculptural elements. The park belongs to the "Zentrum Zürich Nord" development scheme, which gave the old factory districts of Oerlikon a new identity.

What will you see?

A regular grid of trees covers the entire site. Species and spacing shift gently from place to place, and together the crowns form a green canopy over the visitor. It keeps the park shaded on hot days and gives it the feel of an outdoor room.

A central path leads through the trees to an open clearing at the heart of the park. A modular pavilion stands there, suited to resting or to temporary events, and the clearing also holds a water feature. Elsewhere you will find wooden terraces, gravel lawns, firm barrier-free paths and loosely placed seating.

An observation tower rises above the treetops. It serves as a local landmark and looks out over the new buildings of Zurich North.

What surrounds the park?

Oerliker Park is the oldest of four neighbouring parks. MFO-Park (2002), Louis-Häfliger-Park (2003) and Wahlenpark (2005) followed. Each meets a different local need, from district park to neighbourhood green to playground. Walking all four shows how landscape design in a former factory district looks today.

Who is it for?

The park suits a break between sightseeing and work, a picnic, meeting friends or a walk with children. Landscape architecture fans will find a carefully composed example from the early 2000s.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Oerliker Park? In Oerlikon, north of Zurich's centre, on land that was once part of the city's industrial belt.

Is there an entrance fee? No. It is a public city park managed by Grün Stadt Zürich.

Is it accessible for visitors with reduced mobility? Yes, the paths are firm and barrier-free.

When was it built? Between 1999 and 2001, as the first of four new parks in the area.

What else is worth seeing nearby? MFO-Park, Louis-Häfliger-Park and Wahlenpark, the other three parks from the same redevelopment programme.