“People's palace”

In 1947, , Gottlieb Duttweiler opened a «clubhouse» at Zurich’s Alpenquai intending for it to become the focal point of the Club School movement and inspire a new society. For this reason, in addition to the courses, the Club School also hosts cultural events and social gatherings.

Gottlieb Duttweiler had big dreams when he rented the Kursaal venue located in Zurich’s former Henneberg Palace in 1947. The Alpenquai «clubhouse» was to provide «a place for socialising», «bridging the class divide» and fostering a new «social life». With this in mind, in addition to voice, crafts, dance and bridge classes, the Club School also hosted cultural events and lectures for housewives and parents.
However, the expected rush to the «People's palace» did not materialise and the operation went into the red for a number of reasons: A report called the restaurant «average» because, for example, «the curry is not served with rice, but with spaghetti or potatoes»; the staff «lack sales skills», and the pianist «applies himself more to taking breaks». The director and film producer Franz Schnyder felt the place lacked the flair to attract a wide public and didn’t meet its needs. He preferred classical music. In 1953, Duttweiler abandoned the «clubhouse» project, leaving the building to the Club School. Franz Schnyder, however, continued to successfully host his Clubhouse concerts in Switzerland’s concert halls.