The office building at Usteristrasse 14 belongs to the Wanner houses (Wannerhäuser) built by the architect Jakob Friedrich Wanner between 1878 and 1891.
The property has been under municipal protection since 1980 and is now under cultural preservation.
The building was named in honour of Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) who lived in Zurich and was considered a highly respected individual. Among other things, he was the founder of a newspaper from which the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" later emerged.
The Gessnerhof was historically a centre of high-quality craftsmanship with the well-known Hubmann hat shop, and now Enea is reviving this tradition of craftsmanship at the Gessnerhof.
Étienne-Louis Boullée, a classicist French architect of the 18th century, defined the relationship between architecture and nature as an indissoluble combination of shadows and shapes.
Outside In was designed with this idea in mind. The emphasis was placed on those natural materials and elements that are typically used in Enea's projects: wood and stone, a consistent high level of craftsmanship and a timeless, classic design language. The store is dominated by calm, earthy tones while surface textures and the play of light and shade create liveliness within the space.
Japan is an important source of inspiration for Enzo Enea. The reduced, modern interior design with clean lines creates a Zen-like atmosphere, and a bonsai is prominently positioned on the ground floor. Traditional Japanese joining techniques were used for the custom-made wooden constructions on the ceiling, bringing Enea's trademark outdoor pergola elements into the indoors. The store extends over two floors and is divided into different living spaces. Large-scale shop windows on the ground floor create a link between indoors and outdoors. With this the circle is complete: "Outside In" presents itself as a lived and tangible reality.
Exclusive design objects with quality, craftsmanship and history.
Selected design classics and original vintage pieces, elegant accessories up to contemporary works of art complement the holistic view of a room.
The following is a selection of design objects from Outside In. You can find an extended selection on enea.ch
Tuareg mats—typical for the nomads of the Mauritanian and Algerian Sahara—are hand-woven with the only materials found in the desert: palm wood and leather.
Tractor stool by BassamFellows—Architectural precision combining the honest, humanistic character of the handmade—the tractor stool embodies the lifestyle vision "Craftsman Modern" of the BassamFellows".
Fragile Future by Studio Drift—a light installation that combines nature and technology. The sculpture consists of three-dimensional electrical circuits made of bronze, with light-emitting dandelions. It contains real dandelion seed heads, picked by hand and individually placed onto LED lights.
Rio Chaise Longue by Oscar Niemeyer—designed in 1978 by Oscar Niemeyer and his daughter Anna Maria—the "Rio" rocking couch is an example of Niemeyer's exquisite curves and winding forms which became famous through Niemeyer’s modern architectural designs.
Julep sofa by Tacchini—influenced by the simplicity and sublimity of the Avant-garde movement of the 1950s—is refined with a contemporary, romantic, female charm.
101 Copenhagen is a Danish design brand with a vision to honor exquisite quality and craftsmanship, the collection encompasses furniture, lighting and accessories in a timeless, yet modern design. With a true passion for materials and refined textures, organic shapes and colours, 101 Copenhagen presents the epitome of classics and must-have novelties for Scandinavian and international interior connoisseurs alike. The design of 101 Copenhagen is firmly rooted in the Scandinavian soil and nourished by Japanese minimalist aesthetics. Sharing an emphasis on quality materials, techniques and traditions, the meeting between the North and the East is notable in the holistic collections of 101 Copenhagen.