Zurich-West, the Kreis 5 district north-west of the main station, was the city's heavy-industrial heartland from the 1860s through the late 20th century — shipyards, breweries, foundries, gasworks. When the factories left in the 1990s the lofts and warehouses were progressively colonised by architects, designers, club promoters and chefs. Today it carries most of Zurich's contemporary art and nightlife and is by far the most architecturally interesting recent quarter in the city.
Anchor points: the Schiffbau (a former shipyard hall converted into the Schauspielhaus theatre and a jazz club, Moods), the Frau Gerolds Garten urban-garden bar under the railway viaduct, the Im Viadukt retail arches with high-end Swiss design under the old rail bridge, and the Freitag Tower — a 26-metre stack of shipping containers selling messenger bags made from recycled truck tarpaulins. The Prime Tower, Switzerland's third-tallest building, dominates the skyline and has a bar with a view on the 35th floor.