In praise of towers

In Chicago, skyscrapers were born of an emergency: rebuilding after disaster and making every square meter a profitable investment. Today, Switzerland is facing its own housing crisis. Could the third-largest American metropolis serve as a model?

In many parts of Switzerland, finding accommodation has become a treasure hunt. In the canton of Vaud, for example, the vacancy rate fell to 0.96% last year. At the same time, the population is growing rapidly, driven by sustained immigration and the formation of new, smaller households.

Building land, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly scarce: strictly protected agricultural zones, topographical constraints, fussy regulations. As a result, rents are soaring (+38% between 2000 and 2024), and 84% of the partners surveyed by the Federal Housing Office believe that the demand for new housing will continue to rise.