Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Lorzensaal in Cham

1st Lorzensaal: a versatile cultural and congress venue in Cham, Canton Zug

The Lorzensaal in Cham, under the direction of Managing Director Marianne Sidler, is a multifaceted cultural and congress center in the canton of Zug, which forms the heart of the cultural and congress life of the municipality

With an impressive capacity of 680 seats, the large hall offers ideal conditions for theater performances and concerts.

In addition, the Seesaal (maximum 100 people) and the Rigisaal (maximum 70 people) are available for smaller events. The Lorzensaal not only hosts cultural events, but also community events and club events, and is owned by the municipal administration of Cham. The diverse range of events attracts a wide audience, from cultural enthusiasts to community members and clubs. Visitors are cordially invited to experience the variety of culture and events at the Lorzensaal Cham.

2. reasons for Swisstainable program

The Lorzensaal in Cham is part of the Swisstainable program and has been classified as Level I - committed. Have you forgotten what this level means? No problem. Here you can find the explanation.

Marianne Sidler, Managing Director of the Lorzensaal in Cham, explains in the following video why they are part of the Swisstainable program.

The Lorzensaal participates in the Swisstainable program to implement its emphasis on sustainability and the energy-efficient use of resources in the community of Cham. The Lorzensaal has been working on the topic of sustainability for years as part of the Q12 association, which incidentally also includes the Theater Casino Zug, and has researched various solutions and investigated labels. The Swisstainable program was selected as a result of these efforts. Participation in the program was swift, as it takes social and economic components into account alongside environmental aspects. The Lorzensaal sees this as a commitment to transparency, to emphasizing the importance of sustainability, to implementing concrete measures and to actively participating in sustainability in the long term.

In summary, the Lorzensaal is involved for the following reasons:

1. Importance: Sustainability is important to the Lorzensaal, the municipality of Cham and the Q12 Association.
2. All dimensions of sustainability: Swisstainable program encompasses all dimensions of sustainability (social, environmental and economic).
3. Transparency and commitment: Participation in the Swisstainable program commits to transparency and long-term support for sustainability.

3. sustainability measures Lorzensaal

The Lorzensaal has divided its sustainability measures into the areas of energy measures and ensuring accessibility. These are presented individually below

3.1 Energy-related measures

The municipality of Cham attaches great importance to sustainable energy practices, particularly in the Lorzensaal, a central event venue. The municipality is actively discussing with planning and building construction experts to identify future measures. These include considering how the roof of the building can be used more effectively to generate additional energy. This is particularly important as the event area, with its intensive use of lights and sound, has a significant energy requirement. When purchasing new instruments and equipment, care is also taken to ensure that the energy consumption is justified. Through these ongoing efforts, the municipality of Cham aims to strengthen its position as an energy city and contribute to environmentally friendly practices.

The most important energy-related measures are summarized below:

Renewable energies: 100% hydropower for the Lorzensaal

LED lighting: Optimization of energy consumption through LED lighting

Repurposing the roof: considering how to use the roof more effectively to generate additional energy

Energy-efficient instruments: When purchasing new instruments, attention is paid to justifiable energy consumption.

Significant steps have been taken to improve accessibility in the Lorzensaal. One key measure was to ensure barrier-free access for people with disabilities. This includes not only wheelchair users, but also people with walking difficulties. The existing ramp, although visually appealing, unfortunately proved to be too long. A new entrance was therefore created that is especially suitable for wheelchair users and people with walking disabilities. This allows direct access from the parking garage via a sliding door, which makes it easier to enter the building.

Another measure involved adapting the doors to allow easy access for people with disabilities or limited strength. The additional servo aid was introduced, which opens the door automatically when it is unlocked. This makes access easier and barrier-free for all visitors. These initiatives help to make the venue accessible to a diverse audience.

The most important measures to ensure accessibility are summarized below:

Accessibility: New sliding doors at the lower entrance

Door adaptations: The door has been fitted with the servo auxiliary aid, which opens automatically to facilitate access for visitors with disabilities

Diverse accessibility: These measures help to make the venue accessible to a wide audience and offer an inclusive experience for all visitors.

4. My most important findings from the visit

The municipality of Cham is an energy city and must therefore be able to demonstrate a number of sustainability measures to increase energy efficiency. The Lorzensaal can benefit from this. Considering the installation of a PV system on the roof, I assume that these will be continuously optimized. In addition to the use of renewable energies, I was also impressed by the efforts to ensure accessibility. I was impressed by the following measures:

1. 100% renewable energy is used
2. Accessibility throughout the hall
3. Energy use is constantly being reduced

5th sustainable excursion tip in Cham

The fresh air, the beautiful views, the colorful flower meadows - what could be better than walking over hill and dale? The circular trail from Cham in the canton of Zug is peppered with historic buildings and picturesque landscapes.

You reach the listed St. Wolfgang's Church across wide fields. The late Gothic building is known for having the most beautiful sacrament house in Switzerland! With the Reuss plain firmly in view, you descend to the Ziegelei Museum in Hagendorn. It is the only one of its kind in Switzerland to show the brickworks and teaches the craft through guided tours and courses.

The route continues through the Herrenwald forest to Frauenthal Monastery. It lies on a small island formed by two branches of the River Lorze. With its 26 slopes, it looks like a small village.

Past the last river power station on the Lorze, the route continues to Rumentikon. After Beerihof Schönau, you descend to the river. On the next section, you become aware of the importance of the Lorze for Cham. Cham has the most river power stations in the canton of Zug.

Immerse yourself in the floral adventure and be enchanted by the beauty of the historic buildings. The circular route from Cham will delight you with its picturesque landscape and variety of sights.

The best way to round off your day in Zug is with a visit to the Lorzensaal. Numerous events such as comedy shows, Explora travel lectures and concerts await you. Here is the link to the program. I wish you lots of fun and lasting experiences during your stay in the canton of Zug.

New here? Here you can find other exciting articles on the topic of sustainable travel:

• Swisstainable: Discover sustainable experiences in Zug.
• Swisstainable: Sustainable travel doesn't have to be expensive.
• Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Zugersee Schifffahrt
• Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Theater Casino Zug
• Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Hotel APART AG, Rotkreuz
• Swisstainable: Sustainable commitment Zugerberg Railway

Joel De Buren, 2024