| Swiss chalet style | |
|---|---|
 Villa Fridheim inKrødsherad, Norway | |
| Location | Europe andNorth America |
Swiss chalet style (German:Schweizerstil,Norwegian:sveitserstil) is anarchitectural style ofLate Historicism, originally inspired by ruralchalets inSwitzerland and theAlpine (mountainous) regions ofCentral Europe. The style refers to traditional building designs characterised by widely projecting roofs and facades richly decorated with wooden balconies and carved ornaments. It spread overGermany,Austria-Hungary,Italy,France andScandinavia during theBelle Époque era.
Swiss chalet style originated in theRomantic era of the late 18th and early 19th century, when the ideas of theEnglish landscape garden inspired parks and residences in Germany, such as theDessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm. It became highly appreciated on the continent by noble landowners who were impressed by the "simple life" of people living in the mountains.
The chalet style soon spread over the GermanMittelgebirge landscapes such as theHarz mountains or theDresden area and the adjacentNorth Bohemian region. As a "modern" building style, it also influenced theresort architecture along theBaltic seaside, like inBinz orHeringsdorf. Around 1900, design elements were used in the construction of numerous bourgeois family homes as well as by notable architects likeHeinrich von Ferstel to build larger mansions and hotels.
The style was further popularized by the first waves of tourism of rich people from the North and West of Europe and became popular in other parts of Europe and North America, notably in thearchitecture of Norway,Iceland andthe Netherlands and in thecountry house architecture ofSweden andCincinnati (Ohio, US), in the late 19th and early 20th century. English examples of the chalet style include theBoathouse at Belton House,Lincolnshire, byAnthony Salvin and the Swiss Cottage atOsbourne House, on theIsle of Wight, constructed forQueen Victoria's children.
The style is characterized by:
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Swiss Chalet Revival architecture developed in the United States, emulating the original Swiss chalet style of Switzerland.[1] The style was popular in the U.S. in the early 20th century, approximately coinciding with theArts and Crafts era.[1][2]
Media related toSwiss chalet style architecture at Wikimedia Commons