Swiss Life Arena

The Swiss Life Arena does not simply sit in the Altstetten quarter; the concrete stands seem to have grown out of the ground there. The design by Caruso St John Architects is plain to see, particularly in how the tiers of seating sweep upwards. You notice the dark plastic chairs and the white painted lines on the concrete floor before you notice the ice. The view down from those seats cuts straight to the centre of the rink.

Opening is a recent matter. The arena welcomed its first crowd in October 2022, replacing the Hallenstadion as the home of the ZSC Lions. The first match saw the Lions beat HC Fribourg-Gottéron 2–1 in front of a sold-out house. The official ceremony followed a month later, but the rhythm of the place was set by that opening fixture.

It is a multifunctional venue, though the ice is the primary concern. The surface is refrigerated, and the capacity is listed as 11,157 for hockey, though the architects round it to 12,000. The funding came from the City of Zurich, which also provides an annual operating contribution of CHF 2 million. The ZSC Lions play their National League games here, and the Swiss national team uses it for the SWISS Ice Hockey Games. It has already hosted the 2022 Men's World Floorball Championships and is set up for the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

The ZSC Lions women's team recently drew 4,997 spectators for a game against EV Zug, a record for women's hockey in the country. It is a practical building, built for the noise of a crowd that presses high up the pitch of expectation every time the puck drops.