Zurich's squares in an interview: Bellevue

Good afternoon, Bellevueplatz. What should I call you and how should I address you? Madame? Monsieur?
Hello Ron, nice to see you. You don't have to be so formal, just call me "Bellevue" like everyone else. You can also leave out the "-platz" appendage. When people talk about "Bellevue", everyone knows that they're talking about me.

Good, then just "Bellevue". Where does your French name actually come from?
It's a story full of elegance and charm. In the 19th century, when I was still young and freshly minted, a hotel saw the light of day here that was known for its exquisite views of Lake Zurich and the Alps - the Grandhotel Bellevue. I love this name, it sticks to me like the aroma of fresh croissants in the morning. It gives me a little cosmopolitan flair, n'est-ce pas? I feel like a bridge between worlds, a bit of Swiss reliability mixed with a touch of French noblesse. It's as if I have a dual identity - on the one hand the practical transport hub, on the other the elegant meeting place.

You're also in illustrious company - the opera house and the theatre are just a stone's throw away. Which do you like better, theatre or opera? I mean, I'm Bellevue, I'm actually a stage myself and my heart beats for the many stories that life writes in my seat. It is therefore very difficult for me to decide between the two art forms - and the two institutions. But I think the next time I go out, I'll end up at the opera house for a ballet performance.

For most people, you are first and foremost a traffic hub. How does it feel to be at the centre of traffic day after day?
It's a constant coming and going. Just imagine: Every day, 250,000 people change trains here and 60,000 cars drive past. Many choose me as a meeting point and all the night buses start here at night. What other place can claim to be in contact with so many people? I sometimes feel like the conductor of a chaotic orchestra - cars, trams, buses, bikes and of course pedestrians play along and everyone always thinks they're playing first violin. Nevertheless, I love them all equally, they make me feel alive.

I really appreciate the fact that I can change to so many different trams here. But getting past you by bike is really no fun at all.
Oh yes, cycling can definitely be a challenge for me. I've already experienced how difficult it is to steer so many different road users when electrified and Rössli trams were still running here at the same time. This soon meant the end for the Rössli tram. I just hope that it doesn't happen again and appeal to all road users to look out for each other.

Let's move on to the second part of your identity, as you described it. When I hear the words "cosmopolitan" and "noblesse" coming out of your mouth, I think of the Kronenhalle and Café Odeon, which are here with you. Who have you seen in and out of here? You must have some great stories to tell.
Yes, the Odeon and the Kronenhalle are two true icons of Zurich's restaurant scene right on my doorstep. In the 1910s and 1920s in particular, the Odeon was a meeting place for intellectuals and artists such as the Dadaists, who discussed their revolutionary ideas there. Celebrities from all over the world met in the Kronenhalle, from writers and film stars to politicians and business people. I could tell a thousand stories, but you have to understand that discretion is everything in these circles. I would also like to emphasise that I have been serving the best food not only to the elite, but to everyone who comes here for decades, without exception. For example at the star grill or of course right here at my place in the Rondell with espresso from early in the morning and pizza until late at night.

Did you know that you get an identical twin on the Hönggerberg?
You mean the Vuebelle, my green twin.

Yes, exactly. A place that is modelled on you in all dimensions - but much greener, more biodiverse, not concreted over and without traffic - a place where people and nature can meet. Wouldn't you like to be a little more Vuebelle?
Of course, it has its appeal when people come to you and enjoy spending time there instead of just changing trains. But in the end, it would be far too boring for me without the traffic here. I'd probably have to retrain myself if I could suddenly only drive ant trails and bird trains instead of trams, cars and bikes.

If you could swap one day with another Zurich square, which one would it be?
Hmm, they're all somehow too quiet and not sophisticated enough for me. But being on the Croisette in Cannes for a day has always been a dream.

One final question: If you were a song by a Zurich band, which one would it be?
I love music! I love opera, I love techno, I love the Sechseläutenmarsch, I love everything! But the answer is actually obvious: the song "Am Bellevue" by Margrit Rainer and Ruedi Walter from the musical "Eusi chlii Stadt".

But by now the song is pretty much hanging out of my ears because I've been listening to it for decades. So I prefer the song "Bellevue" by Stereo Luchs, even though I'm not sure whether Stereo really named the song after me.

I can see that you not only know a lot about traffic, but also about music. "Bellevue", thank you very much for the interview.
You're welcome, Ron. Glad you could make it.

This article was originally published on ronorp.net.

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