The starting point for the development is the withdrawal of the CKW depot in the context of the large-scale transformation around Seetalplatz. Based on a two-stage study commissioned by CKW and the city of Lucerne, the “Habitat – Quartier im Hain” project was selected in 2022. The careful handling of existing buildings was decisive. In particular, the Shedhalle and the consistent integration of open spaces and rainwater management.
The ideas of the winning project were then applied to the entire perimeter of the development plan and enshrined in planning law. The result is a coordinated overall figure that combines private properties and the former factory yard area into an urban development whole.
Urban development, mixed use and sponge city
For reasons of noise and urban space, the north-eastern part of the area is characterized by larger, mixed-use buildings in closed construction. Living, working, services and first floor uses are concentrated here along streets and squares. The western part focuses on open residential buildings, connected green spaces and paths that link the adjacent neighborhoods.
The central element is a topographical depression in the west, a former floodplain. It serves as a retention area for rainwater and forms the basis of the “urban grove”, which characterizes the district with trees, infiltration areas and a cooling microclimate. Rainwater management, climate-adapted open space design and the sponge city principle thus become key components of the district’s identity.
Social mix and diversity
When completed, around 700 to 800 additional apartments are planned for Reussbühl West, at least 20 percent of which will be non-profit. They will be supplemented by multi-purpose rooms and around 15,000 to 18,000 square meters of work space for businesses and services. Short-term rentals will be limited to the areas already available today and are only permitted in construction site C9. This is a deliberate signal in favor of long-term residential and neighborhood structures.
The existing shed hall will be opened up for public-oriented uses and will function as an address for culture, leisure or small-scale businesses. Together with the first floor uses of the new buildings, a mixed-use, all-day lively environment will be created that closely interlinks living, working and public facilities.
Legal planning basis and timeline
The “Reussbühl West” development plan sets out the main elements of the urban design and the distribution of uses in a way that is binding on the landowner and allows for staggered implementation. It is open to the public from November 24 to December 23, 2025. Objections and negotiations will be incorporated into further processing before the plan is submitted to the City Council.
Together with the “Reussbühl Ost” development plan, which is already legally binding, this will create a legal planning framework for an upgraded, mixed-use district with a total of around 1,000 additional apartments and 15 to 20 percent commercial space. The densification will take place gradually. The first non-profit apartments and new commercial space are already under construction in Reussbühl Ost, marking the transition from an industrial area to the urban city building block of the next generation.
