Why a proposed skyscraper in the Swiss Alps is causing outrage
A Swiss architect’s proposal to build a 65-storey skyscraper on the Matterhorn is drawing backlash from residents, who say the plan threatens one of Europe’s most iconic landscapes.
Heinz Julen, a well-known architect from the nearby village of Zermatt, wants to construct a 260-metre tower, called “Lena Peak”, on farmland at the base of the mountain. The €500 million project would include low-cost housing for local residents on the lower floors and luxury apartments for wealthy buyers at the top, along with shops, restaurants and a 2,500-seat concert hall.
Julen argues the tower could help ease Zermatt’s housing crisis. The village’s population of 5,800 swells to around 40,000 in winter, pushing property prices to some of the highest in Europe. Many locals have been priced out, he says, and need affordable housing.
But the reaction so far has been largely negative. Critics warn the development would worsen overtourism, strain infrastructure, and dramatically alter views of the Matterhorn, one of Switzerland’s most famous natural symbols. Tourism groups and residents say the project risks turning the quiet alpine valley into a commercial “mountain city.”
Online, the pushback has been even sharper, with some joking that developers may as well “dig up the Matterhorn and build apartments inside it.”
The proposal remains at an early stage, with no approvals granted.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
