Information for visitors

How to get here

By public transport

There are two trams from Zurich Main Station:

Tram number 10:

• Take tram no. 10 at “Bahnhofplatz/HB,” make sure the tram runs in the direction of “Zürich Flughafen.”
• Ride for three stops, get off at “ETH/Universitätsspital.”
• Turn right as you disembark and then turn left to cross the street, walk back against the direction of the tram and turn left into Schmelzbergstrasse.
• Go up the hill, past the University Hospital Zurich, until you get to the next crossing with a green fountain, a tower-like building, and a large archway next to it with the name “Semper Sternwarte” across its top.
• Go through the archway and up the stairs. The main entrance to the Collegium will be straight ahead as you come up the stairs.

Tram number 6:

• Take tram no. 6 at “Bahnhofstrasse/HB,” make sure the tram runs in the direction of “Zoo.”
• Ride for three stops, get off at “ETH/Universitätsspital.”
• Turn right as you disembark and then turn right to cross the street, continue straight ahead into Schmelzbergstrasse.
• Go up the hill, past the University Hospital Zurich, until you get to the next crossing with a green fountain, a tower-like building, and a large archway next to it, with the name “Semper Sternwarte” across its top.
• Go through the archway and up the stairs. The main entrance to the Collegium will be straight ahead as you come up the stairs.

By car

One designated disabled parking space is available on the premises, marked by a blue wheelchair-symbol. This space can be used free-of-charge by people who have a Swiss disabled parking permit or an international equivalent.

Next to that, there are several paid ETH parking spaces available in the vicinity of the building. The Collegium will, however, not be able to assist with reserving, finding, or organizing parking. Neither is the Collegium able to validate parking or purchase parking tickets on your behalf. Tickets for ETH parking spaces can be purchased at specific machines, there are several within walking distance.

For more information on ETH parking, prices, and location of ticketing machines: https://ethz.ch/staffnet/en/service/mobility/parkierung.html.

Accessibility information

The Collegium Helveticum is located in the former Semper Observatory at Schmelzbergstrasse 25. Due to its listed status, this historic building is not optimized for accessibility.

If you require assistance or have specific accessibility-related questions, please contact eventoffice@collegium.ethz.ch. We will do our best to make a visit possible.

Parking

• There is one disabled parking space available on the gravelled courtyard that surrounds the building, marked by a blue wheelchair-symbol. This parking space is located around the corner from the main entrance that leads to the ground-floor level.

Building access

• Meridian Hall and Rudolf Wolf Room (main event rooms):
  Both are located on the ground floor of the building, accessible via the main entrance, which is surrounded by a gravelled courtyard area. A set of five steps, each 15 cm high, leads up to the main entrance. The front door is 72 cm wide and opens automatically, it can be opened up to a max. width of 147 cm. There are wooden floors and flag stones across the main floor. The internal doors are between 90 and 100 cm wide and their thresholds are slightly raised and square edged. There is no wheelchair accessible toilet available.
• Gallery (exhibition space):
  The Gallery is located in the basement level of the main building. It is either accessible via the building‘s central, circular staircase (no elevator or stair lift) or via a side-entrance that can be opened upon request. One step of 15 cm height leads up this side-entrance, its door is 87 cm wide. There are concrete or tiled floors across the basement level. The corridor leading to the Gallery narrows in several places (65 cm at its narrowest) and includes several steps (between 5 and 15 cm high). There is no wheelchair accessible toilet available.
• Laboratory (exhibition space):
  The Laboratory is located in an annexed room, separate from the main building. It is accessible directly via a gravelled courtyard, with two steps of 15 and 18 cm height leading down into the room. Its door is 86 cm wide and doesn't open automatically, it can be opened up to a max. width of 114 cm. There is no wheelchair accessible toilet available.
• Further rooms:
  Most office rooms (e.g., the fellows’ offices) are located on the first and second floor of the building. The cupola is located on the top floor. These rooms are only accessible via a central, circular stairway that has no elevator or stair lift. While there are gender-neutral toilets on two of the floors, there is no wheelchair accessible toilet available.
• The building is neither equipped with braille signage, nor with tactile floor guidance or spatial assistive technology.

General event accessibility and infrastructure

• During our events, the seating provided usually consists of movable chairs that have a metal frame and a hardwood seat and backrest, without any padding or upholstery. Simple cushions can be provided upon request.
• Events that are hosted or streamed online will have automatic captioning turned on as a standard. To see them on your end, you will have to enable automated captions in your Zoom settings.
• A private room on the ground floor level (door width 72 cm) can be provided upon request for various needs or for infant care, though this room may not be equipped specific to such purposes.
• There are gender-neutral toilets on two of the floors (floors A and C). However, there is no wheelchair accessible toilet available. The closest wheelchair accessible toilet is either in the ETH CUB building (ground floor) or in the emergency room area of the university hospital across the street.

Further info

• Medical service animals are expressly permitted.
• Smoking indoors is not permitted.

Contact and address

Our location

Collegium Helveticum
Semper-Sternwarte (ETH/STW)
Schmelzbergstrasse 25
CH-8006 Zurich
Switzerland

info@collegium.ethz.ch
+41 (0)44 632 69 06

Postal address

Collegium Helveticum
ETH Zurich/STW
Schmelzbergstrasse 25
CH-8092 Zurich
Schweiz