Former Steghof substation in Lucerne with protected status
The former electricity substation at Sternmattstrasse 3 was partially destroyed with a conversion in the late sixties. As the owner of the building, ewl energie wasser luzern is taking up the request of various interest groups to examine the value of the remaining building fabric.
The value of the former electricity plant at Sternmattstrasse 3 is to be carefully examined with regard to the building fabric that still exists. As the owner of the property, ewl wants to take this concern into account. “We will examine together with the preservation of historical monuments and urban planning whether the building fabric is worth preserving,” says Patrik Rust, Chairman of the Executive Board. The concern was formulated in an open letter from IG Unterwerk Steghof to ewl and signed by various Lucerne associations and interest groups (see enclosure).
Historical building and current substance
The core elements of the old electricity plant still date from the early 20th century. The building was constructed between 1904 and 1905 by the architect Carl Griot for the Elektrizitätswerk Luzern-Engelberg AG, which was founded in 1903. The plant was primarily used to supply the city of Lucerne with electricity, as the Thorenberg power station in Littau was no longer producing enough power.
The building has a certain historical significance. However, the original brick building is no longer recognisable today. The former appearance was largely destroyed by several alterations from the late 1950s onwards. The façade was partially broken through, a mezzanine floor was inserted between two storeys and ornamental elements were knocked off. The building envelope has been covered with green fibre cement panels since 1979. From today’s perspective, this careless treatment of the building fabric seems incomprehensible. After preliminary clarifications with the cantonal monument protection authorities, the building has so far been listed neither as worthy of preservation nor as worthy of protection. This is now to be examined. Today, the former Steghof substation is used by ewl as a warehouse, especially for Lucerne’s Christmas lights.
Interim use and new construction of the ewl site
Another concern of IG Unterwerk Steghof is the examination of possible interim uses on the site. Patrik Rust sees safety hurdles as the main obstacle to a public interim use of the old Steghof substation, with regular visits by people. “Depending on the idea of use, a lot of money would have to be invested to make the building safe for visitors.”
Two other buildings are structurally connected to Sternmattstrasse 3: a residential building with currently two rented flats and a disused control centre for the electricity, natural gas and water network systems. The disused control centre currently houses offices.
With regard to the planned large-scale development of the entire ewl site (“Rotpol” project), ewl sees its own needs as necessary. With the development of the ewl site, a completely new city district is to be created in the next few years. At the heart of the development will be the “Red House”, which is being carefully renovated. A historic industrial building, it will be open to the public for events. “The Red House has already established itself in recent years as an ideal venue for cultural events,” says Rust. It is officially considered an “object worthy of protection”.
During the planned construction phases of the Rotpol project, ewl employees need space for temporary solutions and office space. “In the surrounding area, it must be possible to place ewl’s supply material in a sensible way so that, first and foremost, the security of supply for the city of Lucerne with electricity, water and heat is not jeopardised,” says Rust. The construction project will probably also require handling areas for large vehicles and heavy construction equipment. “The site where the said buildings are located could serve as such a place.” Regarding the Rotpol project, on 4 May 2023, at the request of the business audit committee, the Grand City Council had referred back the report and motion “ewl Areal AG: Second financing step” for revision. Open questions are currently being clarified. According to the current status of the project work and with an outlook on the next steps, ewl is currently only considering interim uses for the company’s own purposes.