'The Chalet Is The First Prefab House In History'

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The chalet first conquered the world – and then Switzerland. So why is it considered a quintessentially Swiss building? This content was published on May 31, 2025 - 11:00 3 minutes SRF

• Deutsch de Wie das Chalet aus den Alpen in die Stadtquartiere kam Original Read more: Wie das Chalet aus den Alpen in die Stadtquartiere ka
• Français fr Le chalet, une invention exportée avant d'être adoptée en Suisse Read more: Le chalet, une invention exportée avant d'être adoptée en Suiss
• Italiano it Come lo chalet alpino è arrivato nei quartieri delle città Read more: Come lo chalet alpino è arrivato nei quartieri delle citta
• Русский ru ((Реимпорт)) мечты: удивительная история швейцарского шале Read more: ((Реимпорт)) мечты: удивительная история швейцарского шал

Ask 100 Swiss people what they consider to be a traditional local house and many would say“a chalet”. Rustic and ornately decorated. A typical piece of Switzerland. Like chocolate, watches and banking secrecy.

On closer inspection, however, this is only partly true. This is demonstrated by an exhibitionExternal link ,“Chalet – From Myth to Modern Architecture”, at the Glacier Garden in Lucerne. Since the opening of the complex in 1873, chalet-like buildings have formed an important part of the overall touristic staging of the Glacier Garden.

The ticket office of the Glacier Garden in Lucerne is part of the Alpine backdrop of the complex. zvg/Gletschergarten Luzern

Just a stone's throw away, other chalets can be seen in the centre of the city. One is Chalet Elisabeth, built in 1869, a three-storey wooden building on a solid base, decorated with fretwork.

A touch of mountain idyll in the middle of urban areas? Art historian Stephan Steger dismisses this suggestion.“Typically, a chalet was built as a log construction,” he explains.“In 1869, however, this was already being interpreted pretty freely.”

Stephan Steger's tour goes past Chalet Elisabeth, built in 1869. SRF/Nik Rigert

Steger works for canton Lucerne's monument preservation office and invites people to discover chalets on neighbourhood tours.

Romantic idea

The origins of the chalet date back to the 18th century. It's the materialisation of a place of longing, a piece of an ideal world, Steger says.

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