Kids Climb on Artwork by Annemie Fontana
It’s a surreal scene: an oversized plastic shell floating in the morning mist above a meadow on Lake Zurich. Inside, it’s yellow and staircase-shaped, outside white and rounded. This is the walkable shell sculpture of Mythenquai lido, and it’s hanging from a crane.
The artwork was hugely popular with young children. Parents would often stand for hours watching as their little ones explored this special object on the lawn near the children’s area of the bathing facility.
But now, it’s all over – and for good. The shell seat, a plastic creation by Zurich artist Annemie Fontana (1925–2002), was recently transported away from “Mythenquai.”
The artwork, completed in 1972, is made of glass fiber-reinforced polyester – a material symbolic of the 1970s. However, for a year now, the shell has shown signs of damage, particularly a crack on the top, and needs to be restored. This was noted by the Zurich city’s public art office (Kiör) on their Instagram account.
Increased Internal Safety Regulations
And because the plastic does not meet the “increased internal safety regulations” of the Sports Department, it “unfortunately” can no longer return to the pool.
The “Muschel” by Annemie Fontana was not designed as a plaything, writes the head of the Kiör office, Sara Izzo, in response. The artist had only intended a seating function. Over the years, however, the sculpture was used by bathers as a climbing device. There has never been an incident with the walkable shell seat.
Returning the plastic to Mythenquai after restoration and cordoning it off would not have been a solution, Izzo states. A public artwork, she further explains, must be accessible to the public. Fences disrupt the immediate experience of an artistic work. Therefore, a new location must be found.
It is possible that the fate of the shell seat will be similar to that of the Sirius Fountain, also created by Annemie Fontana: it also invites climbing but is located in a sparsely populated area near the Hallenstadion in Oerlikon.
Slide Not Operationally Safe
This incident recalls a matter from 2017 when the landmark of the Mühlerama Museum in Tiefenbrunnen, the slide, had to be closed. Initially, the wooden slide transported flour sacks downwards, but about 40 years ago, it was converted into a play apparatus.
The reason for the closure was a letter from the city’s Building Permits Office. It stated that the slide could not be considered operationally safe. Mühlerama had to conduct a risk analysis and implement measures. Since then, the slide has been back in operation.
Almost ten years ago, a similarly beloved play apparatus faced a similar fate: the steam locomotive next to the Werd schoolhouse in Adliswil. For 51 years, the locomotive had a special function by the Sihl river; generations of children loved climbing on it – including the writer.
After the locomotive, numbered 4 of the Sihltalbahn, had chugged back and forth between Giesshübel and Sihlwald from 1902 onwards, it was decommissioned in 1964 and set up as a plaything on the playground of the newly built school complex.
However, in 2015, it was transported away for safety reasons with a pneumatic crane.
The Rotary Club Zurich-Sihltal eventually advocated for the “Tigerli,” as the SBB locomotive is affectionately called, to be exhibited at Sihlwald station. There, it can still be admired today – without climbing, of course.
Where the white-yellow shell will end up remains uncertain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the removal of the beloved shell seat by Annemie Fontana due to safety concerns has sparked nostalgia and contemplation about the fate of other iconic play structures in Zurich. While safety regulations are crucial, the loss of these childhood treasures raises questions about balancing art, play, and public safety in urban spaces.
FAQs
- Why was the shell seat by Annemie Fontana removed?
- What safety concerns led to the closure of the iconic play structures in Zurich?
- Where can the locomotive and slide that were removed for safety reasons be found today?