Of Material, Memory, and Mountains: Reviving a House in the Engadin

Photographs and interviews document the revival of Chesa Culaischem, a Swiss sixteenth-century home.

Of Materials, Memory, and Mountains offers insights into the sensitive reconstruction of Chesa Culaischem, a historic house in the Upper Engadin, in the Swiss canton of Grisons. Built in the sixteenth century, it remained unused and empty for more than sixty years. Magdalena Wallhoff, who owns the house today, revived it with the support of local craftspeople. Together with architects Lena Breitenborn and Charlotte Schoenberger, she now reflects on the undertaking in this book. Her core concerns were to be mindful of the house and its legacy, to observe local building tradition and methods, and to learn from and appreciate each other’s work and contributions.

In the book, new photographs document the house and its surroundings as well as the progress of its reconstruction. Interviews with craftspeople, technical information, drawings, and plans round out this portrait of Chesa Culaischem. 

The revived house represents a manifesto for an architecture of minimal intervention that honors local resources and craft, while also demonstrating the chances offered by a contemporary approach to the building culture of the Engadine region. The combination of philosophy and practice can be transferred to other projects, as it responds to broader questions of long-term sustainability in construction.

Magdalena Wallhoff has worked as an entrepreneur in Asia, North America, and Latin America for many years. Since returning to Switzerland in 2021, she has been engaged with several charitable foundations and pursues various reconstruction projects, including her current home Chesa Culaischem in the Upper Engadine.

Lena Breitenborn and Charlotte Schoenbergerare German-based architects and jointly run PIONIRA, a platform through which they explore the intersections of architecture, ecology, and craftsmanship.

Charlotte Schoenberger and Lena Breitenbornare German-based architects and jointly run PIONIRA, a platform through which they explore the intersections of architecture, ecology, and craftsmanship.