“With our Flora Futura Park, we can make Winterthur even more livable”

AXA is the largest member of House of Winterthur - and for good reason: it is as rooted in Winterthur as it is committed to the future of the city and region. To mark its 150th anniversary, AXA has made numerous biodiversity projects possible that will have a lasting impact on Winterthur. In this interview, project manager Rahel Hauser explains why this change will have an impact far beyond the anniversary year.

150 years of AXA: What is the central message you want to convey with this anniversary?
Our anniversary year is all about biodiversity. Various projects aim to promote and protect biodiversity, and raise public awareness of it. In Winterthur, for example, we are greening the roofs of five bus stops and have created two microforests. Over the past two years, we have also transformed the park surrounding our headquarters in Winterthur into a biodiverse recreational area for the public. We are also active outside of Winterthur with numerous projects that are enabling greater biodiversity throughout Switzerland. With this initiative, we would like to thank our customers for their long-standing partnership and their trust.

The Flora Futura Park was recently opened. How have you experienced the reactions of visitors?
The feedback has been consistently positive. On the opening day, we welcomed an estimated 2,000 visitors to the park, who explored the various stations with great interest. We were naturally very pleased with this and hope that the park will continue to be well attended in the future.

Rahel Hauser is Head of Regional Marketing & Events at AXA and was in charge of the anniversary project.

We've heard that the new wetland habitat near AXA headquarters was temporarily eaten dry by alien fish. Has the habitat recovered since then?
Yes, that was indeed an interesting story. Someone apparently played a joke and released exotic fish into Flora Futura Park. However, the wetland biotope has recovered well, and common toads and various dragonfly species have now settled there.

Why did AXA decide to dedicate its anniversary to the topic of biodiversity?
As one of Switzerland's largest insurance companies, we not only have a commercial mission, but also a significant responsibility to society, which is why we launched the Flora Futura initiative in 2022. The goal is to enable every AXA customer to enhance their biodiversity by one square meter in our anniversary year of 2025—a total of approximately two million square meters. That's why it was important to us that our anniversary year should also focus on the topic of biodiversity.

What would you like the people of Winterthur to take away from the Flora Futura Park?
We want to use the park to give the people of Winterthur an understanding of biodiversity in a fun way. On the adventure trail, you can learn more about biodiversity in Switzerland with the accompanying competition booklet. The adventure trail is particularly suitable for families and there is even something to win at the end. Information on the individual biodiversity enhancements has also been placed throughout the park, which can be scanned via QR codes to find out more. The Flora Futura Park is also intended to serve as a local recreation zone in the urban area. Woven cocoons, tables and benches in the inner courtyard of the main building and a large bird's nest invite visitors to take a break, for example, while the Culinarium restaurant in the middle of the park offers a varied range of food and drink.

How should the biodiversity projects have an impact beyond the anniversary year?
We see ourselves as facilitators of more biodiverse areas or pioneering projects. From the outset, it was planned that we would participate in the so-called "initial intervention," and that the projects would then be continued by the organizations or individuals working on site. For example, the Winterthur city bus service is testing the prototype we facilitated with these five green bus stop roofs. If it proves successful, this type of green roof will be implemented at other city bus stops as well. It was very important to us that our commitment could bring about a change that would last into the future.

Winterthur has been the headquarters of AXA Switzerland for decades. What role does this location play for the company today?
Yes, as a company, we are indeed deeply rooted in Winterthur. This close connection is reflected not only in our company history, but also in our commitment to the city. Today, it is an important partner that, just as we are, wants to promote the economy and sustainable urban development. As our headquarters, the location also enables our employees to work in a vibrant and inspiring environment steeped in a rich history. With our Flora Futura Park, the green roofs of bus stops, and our microforests, we hope to contribute to making Winterthur an even more livable place.

What makes the Winterthur Economic region particularly attractive for AXA?
Winterthur is known for its vibrant cultural scene with museums, theaters, restaurants, and cafés. The city also boasts excellent transport links and offers a dynamic innovation environment, fostered by close collaborations with other companies. The close collaboration during the anniversary year, particularly on the bus stop project and the microforests, demonstrated that a long-standing shared history and shared commitment enable new projects that would otherwise have been impossible to implement in such a short time.

Interview: Linda Stratacò, June 2025