Herzog & de Meuron transforms 1980s Swiss army antenna tower into alpine visitor center

Herzog & de Meuron has completed the redevelopment of the Titlis mountain station and antenna tower in Engelberg, Switzerland. 

The scheme forms part of a wider master plan for one of the country’s most-visited alpine destinations, attracting over one million annual visitors.

Located almost 10,000 feet above sea level, Titlis was originally developed following the construction of the first cableway to Klein Titlis in 1967. The infrastructure at the summit has expanded incrementally over several decades to accommodate growing tourism demand.

The project was undertaken in order to improve visitor circulation and capacity and seeks to reorganize and consolidate the site’s infrastructure while retaining significant portions of the existing structures. In particular, the scheme revolves around the adaptive reuse of a 180-foot-high antenna tower built by the Swiss...