November 6, 2025

2239 Lakeside Promenade Lungolago Paradiso

Location:
Lugano Paradiso, Switzerland

Project Phases:
Competition 2016, 1st Prize; Realization from 2020 onward

Client:
Comune di Paradiso

Landscape Architecture:
Studio Vulkan

Architecture:
Könz architetto

Engineering:
Staubli Kurath & Partner

Visualization:
Atelier Brunecky

Photography:
Daniela Valentini, Studio Vulkan

Details:

Reframing the Edge

The small town of Paradiso, located just south of Lugano, stretches between the iconic Monte San Salvatore and the shores of Lake Lugano. Despite its immediate proximity to the water, the town has long lacked a tangible connection to the lake: Paradiso was built on a protective embankment several meters above the waterline. In winter, the shoreline lies in the mountain’s shadow, and most of the adjacent plots are privately owned – until now, no public lakeside promenade had existed.

The winning competition entry bridges this divide and brings Paradiso closer to the water. The proposal envisions a new Lungolago, a public lakeside promenade. Through a delicate yet expansive architectural gesture across multiple levels, the previously fragmented and heterogeneous waterfront is given a cohesive identity. The relationship between land and water is made perceptible in diverse ways: towards the water, along the water, by the water – and on the water.

A sequence of belvederes – scenic viewpoints with historical roots – introduces a rhythm along the lake’s edge. These small architectural forms, once characteristic of the Baia di Lugano, are reinterpreted and extended. The main historic belvedere remains intact and forms the starting point for the new sequence. Each belvedere is given a name and a small pavilion, lending the sites identity, spatial presence, and social vibrancy.

Two pathways on different elevation levels mediate the transition between town and lake: the Passeggiata a monte follows the upper road, while the Passeggiata a lago traces the water’s edge. The lower walkway’s form responds playfully to a wide range of spatial conditions: it bypasses private parcels, allows boats to pass, encourages swimming, and creates places of rest with direct access to the lake. In doing so, it generates a variety of connections and visual corridors.

Situated between the belvederes and the promenades, at a mid-level elevation, are the Gardens of Paradiso, each assigned a unique identity and usage profile. Here, the exotic flora of Ticino finds space, arranged scenographically like elements in a painting. The sunlit landscape of Lugano’s opposite bay forms a luminous backdrop, while in the foreground, the silhouettes of palms, cedars, and other southern trees stand out vividly.

A new harbor, positioned at the eastern end of the Passeggiata a lago, is subtly integrated into the overall composition. At the same time, the shoreline is ecologically enhanced through carefully shaped embankments and targeted planting.