Lena Peak’ Project: Redefining Vertical Construction and Housing in Mountainous Zermatt
Swiss Zermatt Faces Unprecedented Architectural Changes
The mountain village of Zermatt has never seen a project like this before. A local designer has revealed plans to construct a 260-meter-high skyscraper, just 800 meters from the village entrance. This 65-story structure, known as “Lena Peak,” has sparked widespread debate in a community that values car-free streets and strives to preserve the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains.
Project Details and Location
The tower will occupy a small 40×40 meter plot of farmland, at an altitude of 1,500 meters. Its design is unprecedented in the region, offering uninterrupted views of the famous Matterhorn, raising questions about its impact on the protected natural landscape. Learn more about similar buildings in mountainous settings.
Social and Economic Context
This project cannot be separated from Zermatt’s social and economic realities. The village’s population swells from 6,000 permanent residents to over 40,000 during peak tourist seasons. With this influx, real estate prices reach record levels, while vacancy rates are almost non-existent.
Challenges in Providing Housing for Seasonal Workers
Hotel management and tourism sector employers face significant difficulties in securing affordable housing for seasonal workers. Even hotel owners struggle to provide accommodation for their own staff during peak periods. These challenges highlight the need for innovative solutions in construction and planning to meet the growing demand for housing amidst rising property prices and scarce availability.
Vertical Construction as a Solution to the Housing Crisis
The local designer proposes a solution based on vertical construction to address Zermatt’s housing challenges. According to the plan, floors 2 to 32 will be dedicated to affordable housing for local residents and seasonal workers, while floors 33 to 62 will contain luxury apartments aimed at wealthy foreign buyers.
Multiple Functions in One Place
The ground floors will house a variety of facilities, including approximately 1,000 parking spaces, a 2,500-seat event hall, retail shops, restaurants, a fitness center, a swimming pool, and a kindergarten. This distribution makes the tower a multifunctional hub serving the entire community, rather than merely a residential building. It integrates interior design and planning elements efficiently.
The “Vertical Village” Concept
The designer describes the project as a “vertical village” built upward instead of expanding horizontally. He notes that this intensive approach helps preserve the soil, reduce environmental impact, and provide seasonal workers with a fair opportunity to access decent housing. This innovative project highlights modern building materials and techniques.
Economic and Regulatory Management
The project is estimated to cost around 500 million Swiss francs and includes price controls to prevent speculation, with expected housing cost increases capped at 2% annually. From an economic perspective, concentrating development in a single location allows for better management of local resources and reduced land consumption, making growth more sustainable and efficient.
The Debate Over Architectural Change in Zermatt
Public discussion centers on whether a towering glass structure is appropriate in one of Europe’s most picturesque mountain locations. Zermatt has built its reputation on preserving traditional Alpine architecture, while the Matterhorn dominates most of the scenic vistas and tourist views.
Tower Location and Its Impact on the Landscape
The designer insists that the tower’s location lies outside direct sightlines from the village or prime viewpoints, emphasizing that it will not spoil the iconic views. However, the idea of placing a skyscraper in the middle of such an open natural setting represents a clear departure from everything Zermatt has stood for architecturally, raising questions about balancing development with the preservation of the mountain environment. See similar city planning discussions.
Luxury Apartments and Real Estate Market Issues
Critics question whether luxury apartments aimed at foreign buyers will genuinely help address the local housing crisis or whether they may fuel speculation and further inflate property prices. It is worth noting that previous attempts to construct mountain skyscrapers in Switzerland have failed, including a 381-meter project in another mountain village that never came to fruition. Check the archive for related cases.
Future Risks and Challenges
This ambitious project reflects the designer’s willingness to push beyond traditional boundaries in the region and raises questions about whether it will reshape Zermatt’s future or remain merely a proposal dependent on complex planning approvals and the support of a divided community. The plan aims to complete the project by 2034, though the path remains fraught with uncertainty and regulatory and social challenges.
Public amenities such as this indoor pool serve as a communal hub for residents, framed by natural light. (Courtesy of Lina Bo Bied / Yanko Design)
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
The “Lena Peak” project in Zermatt can be seen as an attempt to rethink the approach to the housing crisis in a space-constrained mountain community. Vertical construction offers a practical solution, providing multifunctional housing that combines local residences with luxury apartments. This reflects an architectural research approach aimed at denser land use while minimizing horizontal sprawl. Such an approach allows for efficient resource management and the provision of diverse facilities under a single roof, potentially enhancing sustainability and more disciplined management of tourism activity.
However, the project raises several important questions from an urban planning and visual identity perspective. The height of the skyscraper and the change in scale compared to the village’s traditional buildings may have a significant visual impact on the surrounding natural landscape, even if the location is outside direct sightlines. Additionally, focusing on luxury apartments for foreign buyers may not adequately address the local housing crisis and could further strain the real estate market and drive up prices. The complexities of obtaining planning approvals, along with the ongoing management of multifunctional facilities within a single building, pose substantial operational and regulatory challenges that could affect the long-term feasibility of the project.
From an architectural perspective, this project can serve as a model for studying the balance between vertical construction, the natural environment, and the local community. It provides insights into integrating multiple functions within a single structure without significantly altering the village’s traditional character, making it a rich case study for future urban planning and design, even if its actual implementation remains highly controversial.
