Apartment house at Habsburgstrasse 6

About the building

Where Habsburgstrasse and Seminarstrasse divide in Kirchenfeld stands a house that is clearly visible from both streets. The apartment building at Habsburgstrasse 6 was built by the Bern contractors Kuentz & Cie., who were also the client. The sources differ on the date: the city inventory gives 1904, Wikidata 1906.

The rendered building with red artificial-stone details has two full storeys and above them a half storey in half-timbering under a steep hipped roof. Its basic shape is hard to make out, so strongly is it broken up: a tower, a cross gable with a broken Ründi (the rounded Bernese gable lining), an oriel and terraces with verandas interlock. The single forms are Gothic in spirit, while the whole follows the picturesque, romantic current of the years around 1900.

The choice of windows is playful: single windows, paired windows, stepped groups and segment-arched openings alternate. The strong string courses wrap around the corner pilasters and curve away from the window lintels. A detail to look up at are the finial rods on the ridges and dormers, which add further structure to the busy roof.

Right next door, at Habsburgstrasse 8, stands a house of 1904 by the architect E. Senften, also with its original fence. Number 6 has kept its original enclosure too. It was renovated between 1992 and 1994, has been protected by contract since 1992 and is rated as worthy of protection. The city also rates the open space around the house as being of heritage interest.

Researched and summarised by Bärn Kit. Sources: Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Habsburgstrasse 6 · Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Habsburgstrasse 8 (Nachbarbau) · Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Baugruppe Kirchenfeld · Wikidata: Q138809367