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The fact is that the 180-year-old city theater will be demolished and replaced with a new, larger building. An architecture competition will be launched in early 2021.
The Lucerne Theater with the Theaterplatz in the foreground.
New construction plans for the Lucerne theater have plummeted. The reason is the attitude of the Federal Commissions for the Conservation of Nature and Heritage Protection, as well as the Preservation of Monuments. The two commissions ask that the old theater of the city be preserved. But the “Projektierungsgesellschaft Neues Luzerner Theater”, chaired by the president of the city of Lucerne, Beat Züsli (SP), is sticking to its plan, as it wrote in a statement on Friday. There is no alternative to the current project: a mere renovation of the existing building would in no way be compatible with the demands of a modern theater business. A new and bigger theater is needed. “Without a new theater building that is truly functionally and operationally optimized, the future of professional theater in Lucerne is at risk,” the press release said.
Neues Theater: that’s the schedule
First, the Lucerne city council will apply to the city parliament for a loan for an architectural competition and related work. Most of the costs are borne by sponsor Arthur Waser. The competition will begin in the first half of 2021 and the winning project will be determined in spring 2022. The rezoning process then begins. This is necessary because currently only the real property of the theater can be built, but not the theater square. The rezoning will likely come before the people along with a project loan. This will be followed by a second municipal referendum on the actual construction loan. For the renovation of the Lucerne theater, the city council is planning a total cost of approximately 120 million francs. At the time of the inauguration of the new theater, Mayor Beat Züsli does not dare to make a forecast.
National interest in a new theater in Lucerne
They are also convinced that there is not only a local, but also a national interest in a modern theatrical infrastructure in Lucerne. Lucerne, as an international city of music and culture, needs a theater with the right charisma: “With a new building, it may be possible to create another future-proof element for Lucerne as a cultural place, helping to strengthen Lucerne’s charisma “.
From the point of view of the project planning company, there is no alternative to location. The search for another location “would set planning back years.” Now it is the task of the team of architects to show “how the urban landscape can not only be protected, but also improved”. The test planning and the feasibility study have already shown that architecturally and for the urban landscape are compelling solutions possible at Theaterplatz. The architecture competition is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2021. In the best case, the winning project will be known in spring 2022.
Urban policy is behind the plans
The decision for a new building was agreed with the Lucerne city council and the governing council, according to the announcement. It is also welcomed by urban politics. The education commission of the city parliament unanimously supports the decision as drafted. The requirements for a future-oriented theater should outweigh the evaluation of federal commissions. One is of the view that “a cleverly planned new building can be exemplarily integrated into the historically developed urban landscape and can carefully preserve or even enhance it.” The SP also sees an opportunity not only to ensure a modern theater operation in the city center, but also to create a low-threshold gathering place for all.
