In 2019, many different collectives applied together for the temporary use of the old Zentralwäscherei. After the city accepted the bid, we were able to move into the premises for the first time as Verein Zentralwäscherei in April 2019.

The association has been running the uncommercial cultural and meeting space Zentralwäscherei since November 2021. Our vision is to create a space for encounter, art, culture, political and gastronomy that is as inclusive as possible. This vision requires a collective organizational structure that provides enough stability for the multi-year project while being flexible enough to remain accessible and open.

The supporting base of the structure is the Verein Zentralwäscherei. The most important decisions are made jointly and in a grassroots democratic manner. However, there are also working groups that have their own competences. The association is open to all people who agree with the common principles.

The "Schaltzentrale", which meets once a month, establishes the principles, amends the statutes, delegates tasks and competences to the working groups, the operating team and the board.

The working groups consist of members who work together on a specific topic. Thematically, the spectrum ranges from information technology to reflection and curation to outdoor space design. The working groups enable all members of the association to participate in a low-threshold manner.

The operating team is responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the center. It consists of the areas of gastronomy, finances, curation, graphics, technology, maintenance and care.
The board of directors is elected annually at a regular general meeting and keeps the books of the association, organizes the general meetings and represents the association in dealings with third parties and contractual partners.

All work within the organs is documented in a digital platform that is freely accessible to all members.

We strive to keep all aspects of the association as public and transparent as possible. To ensure the transparency of our work processes, you can find an insight into many areas of the association here.

Statutes of the association
Here you can download statutes.

Service agreement with the city of Zürich
Here you can download our service agreement.

Application of the association for these premises
Here you can find our application dossier.

Curation guidelines
Here you can download the curation guidelines.

The association is a steadily growing collective of currently about 35 active members, most of whom work on a voluntary basis. Would you also like to become a member and are motivated to participate in a working group? Get in touch with us! Our "we" is always open for new members! We are always happy to welcome new faces and voices.