Timber house at Muristrasse 39

About the building

At Muristrasse 39 stands a house that seems to belong in the mountains rather than in a city district. Above a white-rendered masonry ground floor rise one and a half storeys of dark-brown stained timber in log construction. The building dates from 1902; according to the City of Bern building inventory, L. Schlachter was both architect and client. The heritage office rates it as worthy of protection, and its surroundings are also listed as an outdoor space of heritage interest.

The house stands gable-end to Muristrasse and has a broad cross wing behind. Both parts carry gable roofs with hipped ends, topped by dormers and small ridge turrets. The windows come in different sizes. On the entrance side the staircase projects under its own cross roof. The woodwork, such as the cornices and the brackets under the purlins, is carefully made.

The house was enlarged several times: in 1911 with an extension, in 1918 with a terrace and an extra room, and in 1925 with a garage numbered 39A. In the heritage office’s view these later parts blend in with the original fabric. For 1990 the inventory also records a separate protection measure.

The inventory compares the house with the villa “Aarhalde” at nearby Kollerweg 3, built in 1907, which also combines a light masonry part with dark wood. Both draw on country-house forms from the Tyrol and from Graubünden. Seen from the street, the contrast between the white base and the dark timber is most striking.

Researched and summarised by Bärn Kit. Sources: Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Muristrasse 39, 39A · Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Kollerweg 3 · Wikidata: Q128212799