The Zirkusquartier is moving!
Info-Veranstaltung
With co-direction of Zirkusquartier and project manager for ZQ27
| Date: | Sa 05.09.2026 |
| Time: | 17:00 |
| Location: | Foyer |
| Price: | Gratis |
| Duration: | 30 minutes |
The time is almost here: in March 2027, the Zirkusquartier will move into its permanent home in the Koch-Quartier. We look forward to sharing this exciting project with audiences and visitors, professional circus artists, partners, and friends as part of the final ZirQus Festival at the Güterbahnhof.
The Zirkusquartier was established in 2016 on the initiative of Zirkus Chnopf as a temporary project on the former Koch site and has been temporarily based at the freight yard on Hardplatz since 2023. Now, for the first time in its history, the Zirkusquartier is set to have a permanent home: back on the former Koch site—in the new Koch Quarter! In collaboration with the Kraftwerk1 cooperative, the new Koch-Quartier building will provide approximately 700 m2 of space for contemporary circus in Zurich. The Zirkusquartier will be located in the heart of a vibrant residential neighborhood and right next to Koch Park with its historic coal storage warehouse. To make the new Zurich Zirkusquartier a reality, we need to close a funding gap by 2027. That’s why we’ve launched a fundraising campaign with a committee established specifically for this purpose, which is actively supporting us. Despite generous support from the City and Canton of Zurich, as well as several foundations, we still have a few tightrope-walking steps to go before reaching our goal.
At the information session, Matthias Schoch (ZQ27 Project Manager) and the co-directors of the Zirkusquartier will provide information about the upcoming move, the expansion, and the financing of this large and exciting project, and will answer your questions about the new location and the future program.
The information session will take place as part of the ZirQus 2026 Festival. You can find all the information about the festival here.
Director
Nik Huber & Charlotte Mathiessen
Co-Leitung Zirkusquartier
Nik began his tenure at the Zirkusquartier in 2023 as general manager. Charlotte joined him in 2024, and the two have been co-directing the Zirkusquartier ever since. Together, they are responsible for the development of the organization and the team, as well as for shaping the program. In preparation for the Zirkusquartier’s move to the new Koch-Quartier, the co-directors—with the active support of all staff members and the board—are working to prepare the organization and its program at every level for this major change. Their work, both in operations and programming, is characterized by attention to detail, communication on an equal footing, and a spirit of experimentation. In addition to their multifaceted work at the Zirkusquartier, both work as artists in independent theater projects—Nik as a set designer and Charlotte as a choreographer and dramaturg. They bring these experiences and their close connection to the independent theater scene to their work at the Zirkusquartier, and these elements are an important part of their work.
Matthias Schoch
Project Manager ZQ27
Matthias served as artistic director of Zirkus Chnopf from 2014 to 2018 and, together with many others, helped launch the Zirkusquartier Zürich and paved the way for a permanent home in the Koch Quarter. Today, he continues to oversee the coordination of the ZQ27 project, which is already well underway, and serves as chairman of the board at Zirkus Chnopf. He also serves as artistic director of Karl’s kühne Gassenschau alongside Max Merker and performs on stages and screens. With “Before I Speak I Have Something to Say,” Merker and Schoch were invited to the Swiss Theater Festival in 2017. In 2019, Zirkus Chnopf was awarded the City of Zurich’s Culture Prize. He was active with t.zürich and served on the founding board of the FAIRSPEC initiative .
The ZirQus 2026 Festival is supported by:
