The chalet first conquered the world – and then Switzerland. So why is it considered a quintessentially Swiss building? 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 exhibition, “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. 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 ...
