In the year 1957 the City Council of Zürich decided to build a new youth hostel in Wollishofen. The renowned Zürich architect Ernst Gisel was commissioned with the project in 1963 and the new youth hostel was opened on December 15, 1965.

Gisel clearly divided the different building elements and distinguished between the six-storey sleeping quarters, the three-storey service tract and the one-storey dayroom section. Today the building is an important witness to Brutalism and since 1998 it has been in the inventory of the City of Zürich's protected monuments.

In 1996 the City of Zürich presented the property to its operators and made money available for its renovation. In cooperation with the commissions responsible for high-rise buildings, town planning and monument protection, the architects Meyer, Moser and Lanz created convincing solutions. Expansion and adjustments were carried out with future construction in mind and not limited by existing conditions. Color and material were selected in keeping with the Gisel building. Slight adjustments and new materials, colors and lighting permitted a gentle rejuvenation of the mighty structure.

During the renovation an expansion of the hostel became imperative. The first floor was opened by tearing down connecting walls and thus made the building accessible for general use. The main entrance was placed in a different location and is oriented in the direction of the streetcar stop, where today most of the guests alight.

The Zürich Youth Hostel is a fine example of the fruitful cooperation of the monument protection commission and the management of the hostel to successfully integrate old and new requirements in an existing building.

The youth hostel has 76 rooms with 281 beds, 1 hall with 230 seats and 3 conference rooms. Open around the clock.