The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28
ART IN SWITZERLAND.
Fine Carvings Made by Builders in
the ..Ips Region


(From the Architectural nIrstrstion.1
At first glance the typical Qualities of
| the SWISS chalet seem PicturesIueness.
| harmony with the surrounding features
and certain fanciful ana toylike aspect.
j compare 1t with the bare, rectangular
White-painted and green-DIinded wooden
/ dwelling that has grown up Indigenous in
| the United States seems a far cry: and
yer the fundamental principle which gave
Dlrth TO the two is identical-namely, the
! logical attempt to meet in wooden archi-
| lecture the needs of climatic conditions as
| simply as possible. Inoeed the most direct
way TO examine the typical features of
the chalet Is: perhaps, to take up the sue
cessive conditions which the Swiss build
| ers were forced'to meet. and to observe
| now they have met them.
Wood, rs material, was almost forced
| upon them. both by its righteousness and
| by the difficulty of transporting stone to
the inaccessible heights where the DWELL
ings We're required to be nfched But
wood once accepted by them as a ma
terlal, they did not, like out New England
builders, strive to conceal the construc-
tive features which it necessitated b.
an undressing veil of clapboa rds and
by further coatiI.y of paint but on the
| contrary, emphasized the constructive
skeleton to its utmost. The brackets
which support the roof are enormous.
the floor bea ms. the division into stories,
snow from the front and nothing of the
framing of windows is hiuuen. The wood
itself, too, instead of being painted is
treated with a preservative coating OF
llnseed oil, and thus thu .yxteriors of these
chalets have acquired " tn age an ex-
quisite tone which makes the habitation
thing in natural har1f NV with its sur
roundinga
The climate of s-r :. mountainous
country as Switz'Ii1a where both rain
and snow are abun RAM ind the winter is
very cold. induced q; ..ar marked pecuIi-
ar1ties in the chalet. 1t was necessar y to
protect the wooden walls against moist
ure and this necessity variousy modified
the shapes of the roofs according to the
climate and altitude of the situation. In
the chalet of the plain, the roof Is very
steep and high. built to allow the rain
water to run off rapidly. The caves are
brought forward to shelter the front and
the steep slope causes the rain to run i'm
mediately into the cutters instead of re-
naming on the carbohydrates This tvpe
of roof is extremely graceful, and not
only very picturesque in its outline but
1t is the sole logical and rational form un-
der the conditions
On the other hand. in the chalets built
for the mountain sides where snow is
heavy and abundant. roofS instead of be-
ing built so as to throw off the snow, are
fiattened that the snow may accumulate
upon them. and by its covering protect
the dwelling from the extreme cold
These fiat roofs are accordingly usually
crossed by long, horizontal beams pro-
1ecting beyond the house and forming
lodges against which the snow may rest
though in some cases large stones laid at
intervals not only serve the same pur-
pose, but weight the roof against the
mountain gales.
In both types of roof the extension of
the caves, originally intended merely as
protection for the walls, was exaggerated
by the Swiss builders, until the roof often !
projects from four to ten feet on the front |
and on the sides sometimes IL is so widely |
as to come down within three or |
four feet Of the ground. where it is sup |
ported by posts. The sides being thus am !
ply sheltered, galleries and balconies arc |
placed there, and an exterior staircase is |
not an unusual feature. There are also |
occasionally small balconies on the front |
but only on the upper story, where they |
may be sheltered by the roof.
The decoration of the exterior by carv-
ing. painting. and paneling only empha-
sizes the organic members. 1t accentu-
ates the lines. adds force TO the shadows
and briEhtens the light parts In the |
plain and empty spaces Of the front and |
on the fiat sides of the consoles IL ex-
pands into carving of the most decora-
tive character.
The ingenious fancy of the Swiss car
Denter-architects has been pleased to in |
hnitely vary the types of chalet. writes
NJ. Jean Schopfer. but they have always
faithful to the spirit and re-
luirements of the art of building in wood. |
They have not attempted to apply to |
wood the law of stone architecture, and |
Il is to this fact that We owe the beauty. |
thu elegance and the originality of the
Swiss chalet. which holds place quite |
apart ia the history Of architecture