«Lucerne is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.» From this confident conviction, which opens the competition programme, the organisers derive the need for more accommodation in the city and a new hotel in the Tribschen-Langensand district close to the city centre. Where until the end of the 19th century marshy reedlands were found, there is now the most important growth area in Lucerne. The planned building will be a replacement for the current office building at Tribschenstrasse 7/9 and will be built on the existing basement. The winning design «Ville de Lucerne» by the planning team led by Lütolf and Scheuner Architects proposes a longitudinal rectangular building that creates a spatial and address-forming entrance to the district. In order to avoid costly support structures, the existing column grid of the building is adopted, while the core design and façade structure are specifically designed for an optimised hotel architecture.
«The project proposal succeeds in replacing the current, rather prosy office building with an attractive new building that is part of the urban space. It can be used flexibly as a hotel as well as for offices or flats and is economically cleverly constructed on the existing column grid.» said the jury, explaining its decision.