The excavators are coming: Farewell mood at the Urania House

For years, the building at Alpenstrasse 16, across from Zug railway station, has been a candidate for demolition. Repeated objections have delayed the construction plans time and again. Now, construction work is set to begin in March.

It is one of the first buildings you see when leaving Zug station, and it has shaped the appearance of the new town for several decades: the Urania House at Alpenstrasse 16, built in 1948. Yet the future of the residential and commercial building has long been uncertain: since 2017, when a corresponding construction application was submitted, it has been known that it will make way for a new building. Nothing has happened since then. The construction plans were repeatedly delayed due to objections, and the dispute even reached the Federal Court.

Now, however, the fate of the four-story building—unlike the neighboring buildings at Alpenstrasse 14 and 12, it is not listed in the inventory of protected monuments—is finally sealed. Zurich Insurance, the owner of the property, confirmed upon request that a legally binding building permit is now in place. “Construction begins in March and will last until around mid-2028,” writes communications manager David Schaffner.

The Urania House is home to Café Glücklich, among other establishments     Photo: Jakob Ineichen, (Zug, 6. 1. 2026)

The upper floors are planned to house 19 apartments ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 rooms, with rental prices “aligned with current market conditions,” according to Schaffner. The ground floor and first floor are intended for retail, commercial, and office spaces. Use by a gastronomy business on the ground floor would also, in principle, remain possible in the future, Schaffner adds.

The appearance of the new building is heavily inspired by the existing structure, as shown in the visualization by the responsible Zurich architectural firm, Züst Gübeli Gambetti Architektur und Städtebau AG. This is not surprising, as the façades along Alpenstrasse are in a heritage protection zone. The building height will also not change significantly, Schaffner notes.

Future of Café Glücklich Uncertain

The demolition will displace several businesses. For example, Café Glücklich, which moved into the Urania House in 2018, following the traditional Meier confectionery. On Saturday, February 21, the café will open its doors for the last time, as recently announced on social media. “Not because we’re done with cocktails, drama, or turning nights into day, but because our beloved home will soon meet the excavator. We have to leave,” the post reads.

What comes next is still uncertain. “Whether we continue, where we continue, how we continue… currently zero guarantee, just hope.” Speaking to the online portal Zentralplus, owner Ramon Nietlispach—who also runs the Badi Bar in Zug and the restaurant Meating—said: “We are currently actively looking for a new location.” Whether they have found one in the meantime remains unclear; Nietlispach was not reachable for further comment.

Many Tenants Have Already Moved Out

Right next to Café Glücklich was, for a time, a branch of the fitness chain Bionic. While a sign with opening hours still hangs on the entrance door, behind the glass windows there is nothing but emptiness. No one is building muscles here anymore. In fact, according to the Zefix company index, Bionic ZG GmbH, founded in 2019, has been in liquidation for some time.

Otherwise, there is little life left in the Urania House; in the evenings, only a few windows are still lit. “Many of the former tenants have already moved out,” writes David Schaffner from Zurich Insurance. The terminations were sent around two years before the originally planned start of construction to give tenants enough time to find a new apartment. Due to delays, however, some terminated contracts were extended, and temporary uses occurred.

Now, that is definitely over. Urania House is in farewell mood.