Horw is growing upwards, 14 storeys at the railway station

Horw is systematically transforming the centre around the railway station. What has already been built to the west of the railway tracks is now getting its eastern counterpart. Nine new buildings, a 14-storey tower block in the centre and a bus station that will make everyday life easier for thousands of commuters. The project is ambitious, as are the fronts between the municipality and landowners.

Three striking new buildings with inner courtyards are being built between the railway station and Ebenaustrasse. The municipality is planning an eight-storey building at the roundabout, a 14-storey high-rise to the south of it as a vertical accent and an eight-storey longitudinal building facing Ebenaustrasse. The new bus station will be located in between, closer to the railway line than today and much more convenient for all those who change buses every day.

“Janus” favours greenery and glass
Further east, along Ebenaustrasse and Ringstrasse, the municipality has held an architectural competition. The winning project is called “Janus” and envisages five largely glazed, six- to seven-storey apartment blocks, surrounded by trees and connected by a shared forecourt. The buildings appear bright and open, the ensemble creates urban quality without anonymity.

Commercial yes, but how much?
At least 20 per cent of the space in the new buildings is to be used for commercial purposes. This is envisaged by the municipality, and not just on the ground floor, but up to the third or fourth floor. The property owners take a critical view of this. They point to a lack of demand and draw on their experience with the previous “Horw centre” open space concept. The municipal council is willing to talk, but reserves the right to add further storeys if necessary.

Part of a big picture
The railway station project is embedded in the overall “Horw Mitte” project, which covers around 12 hectares and plans 1,000 new flats and 800 new jobs in the long term. A large part has already been realised to the west of the tracks, while the eastern part is now catching up. Over two decades, the municipality is thus developing a former peripheral area into a compact, well-developed centre.

Residents’ Council has the floor
The bus station was already approved by the Residents’ Council on 27 March 2026, with construction not due to start until 2028 at the earliest. The vote is still pending for the Part East development plan. This requires the approval of the cantonal government of Lucerne and a referendum-free conclusion. It is also still unclear who will bear the planning costs. So there is still a lot to be clarified before the construction cranes move in.

Text: immoMedia