A love for the valley
The history of Casa Walser began in the early 1960s, when Dr Peter Walser first visited the Onsernone Valley. At that time, the winding road was not yet paved – it was a gravel track with only guide stones marking the edge of the precipice. The valley was a retreat for important artists and writers: Golo Mann, Alfred Andersch and Max Frisch had houses in Berzona.
In the 1970s, the Walser family regularly spent their holidays in a rented house in Berzona in Ticino. Hiking, swimming in the cool stream, evenings on the veranda with a view of the granite roofs and the metallic ringing of the evening bells – the valley became their second home. When the shadows grew longer in autumn, the villages smelled of wood fires.
The decision to buy their own house
In the early 1980s, Dr Peter and Dr Gertrude Walser, both doctors with their own practice in Zurich, came up with a plan to buy a holiday home in Ticino. They viewed various properties, but none of them met their expectations. The decision was clear: they would build their own house, exactly as they wanted it.
They spent several years searching for a suitable building plot. In 1985, they found what they were looking for on the lower edge of the village of Loco: a plot in a terraced vineyard with a breathtaking view of the valley. Concerned about possible rezoning, they hurried to find a suitable architect.
The choice: Luigi Snozzi
As culturally well-educated people – music, literature, theatre, painting and architecture played a central role in their lives – the Walsers quickly became interested in New Ticino Architecture, which flourished in the 1980s. They looked at houses designed by Luigi Snozzi and Livio Vacchini and met with both architects several times. They also considered Mario Botta, but Peter Walser found his buildings too monumental.
The decision was made in favour of Luigi Snozzi. As great admirers of the Bauhaus school, the Walsers appreciated his clear design language, radical reduction and great precision in detail. It was also important to them that Snozzi engaged with the Ticino topography and established a connection to the historical building fabric.
An intensive dialogue
Planning for the holiday home began in 1985. The idea for the house was developed and refined in numerous discussions – the many sketches testify to an intensive discourse between the clients and the star architect. One discussion centred on Peter Walser’s desire for a fireplace in the kitchen. Snozzi was strictly against it – until my father argued that old Ticino kitchens also had their hearths there. Snozzi relented.
There were also discussions between the builders: Peter Walser wanted warm oak parquet flooring, while Gertrude Walser preferred the strictly black and white design. She got her way. In return Peter Walser was able to get his way with the colour accents in the bedrooms – today, the rooms shine again in their original colours of green, pink and blue, inspired by Le Corbusier.
Consistency without compromise
The Walsers built the house in the second half of their lives, both over fifty – a courageous step that they consistently put into practice. They refrained from moving discarded furniture into the holiday home. Instead, the house was furnished throughout with Italian designer furniture from Knecht Arredamenti in Locarno. It was important to them that nothing was missing in the holiday home: high-end stereo system, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer were all included.
The fact that the longest crane jib in Ticino at the time reached exactly into the excavation pit had a positive effect on construction costs. This meant that no costly helicopter flights were necessary to transport materials.
Inauguration and happy years
The Walsers threw a big party to celebrate the housewarming in 1986. Over sixty friends from near and far came to Ticino – for drinks at the house, followed by a sumptuous dinner at the Ristorante Centovalli in Ponte Brolla and, the next morning, a guided tour of the historic Monte Verità high above Ascona.
The Walsers loved their house in the Onsernone Valley. In 2021, at over 80 years of age, they spent a few happy days in Ticino for the last time, together with their family, enjoying their beloved porcini mushroom risotto at Centovalli. In Berzona, in the small cemetery below the village, they found their final resting place in a simple urn grave.
Passing on the legacy
Today, I, Dr Christoph Walser, am the owner of Casa Walser. My parents built this house out of their love for architecture and the valley. I am continuing their cultural legacy in their memory and in their honour. As a host, I make it accessible to those interested in architecture who understand what moved my parents – their love of consistent design and this quiet valley.
