Lucerne: New plans for the Hermitage site

Hermitage Lake Lucerne AG has publicly presented a revised design plan for its almost 20,000 square meter site at Seeburgstrasse 72 in Lucerne. According to plans by Herzog & de Meuron, the hotel on the site directly on Lake Lucerne is to be expanded from its current 90 rooms to around 100 and apartments are to be built for the first time. A total of around 36 units are planned.

Residential use is spread over two areas: Around two thirds of the site is located in the tourism zone and, in addition to the hotel business, allows for limited residential use with around twelve apartments. The remaining third - the current Bellevue on the opposite side of the road - is located in the residential zone and is to be developed with around 24 apartments. By broadening the use, the owners want to reduce their dependence on tourism and broaden the economic base of the business, which has been family-owned for over 70 years.

Six volumes instead of two

The current design plan is a fundamentally revised version of the project, which was first published in 2022. Following objections, including from the Lake Lucerne Landscape Conservation Association, and in consultation with the Federal Commission for the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage, the originally planned two large structures were converted into six significantly smaller volumes. The buildings are divided into three groups, embedded in a coherent park landscape. Some of the new buildings are designed as a small-scale ensemble based on a farmhouse in central Switzerland. The existing hotel buildings - all between 35 and 70 years old - will be extended and renovated, and a new central entrance will strengthen the address. Parking spaces will be relocated to underground parking garages in order to increase the proportion of greenery, while the historic baths will remain open to the public.

Realization at the beginning of the next decade at the earliest

Following the current objection period, the client is expecting an adjustment phase lasting several years and a design plan approval within the next three years or so. Implementation will take place in stages, starting with the new Bellevue building, as this building requires the most renovation and will not interfere with ongoing hotel operations. According to the client, the first stages of implementation are expected at the beginning of the next decade at the earliest; further stages will depend on economic developments and the need for renovation.
The press release from Hermitage Lake Lucerne AG does not mention a specific investment sum. «Blick» and «Bilanz» put the total costs at over CHF 100 million, citing the ownership. Patrick Döös from the owner family is quoted in the press release as saying that the hotel must «remain economically viable and be able to secure its long-term future on its own».

The client is Hermitage Lake Lucerne AG (formerly Hotel Hermitage Luzern AG); Büro Vogt is responsible for the landscape architecture.