Back in Switzerland we still rarely have AC in homes and offices. My parents still work in an office that can get 40C/104F for two to three weeks in summer. Everything is built for winter.
On the other hand, very few people will be in the office during those 2-4 weeks anyway, since everyone just takes that time as vacation. And apartments (unlike office buildings) typically have good ventilation.
In my office in Zurich, we break out the electric fans during a hot day, and people take off their button shirts and walk around in flimsy undershirts. Most large stores have A/C though.
I honestly don't miss A/C at all, I remember living in NYC during heat waves, and dreading the shock transition from extreme hot to cold that happened when you entered or exited a building.
I used to regularly travel to North Carolina from Basel (normally warmer than Zurich) and could really feel the difference, even though the temperatures were similar in the summer. In NC, A/C was essential; in Basel not so much.