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U ndisputed, on the other hand, is that the building by architects Urfer & Stähli, who also designed the spectacular
and listed swimming pool structures in Interlaken and Wengen, is an explicit representative of Neues Bauen
(new objectivity) and is today considered to be a valuable example of a time period. In the meantime, the owners of
the Bellevue, the third generation of the Richard family, are also aware of this. Between 2006 and 2015 and in five
costly construction phases, the owners carefully took the hotel back to its roots and thus gave it a perspective for the
future. The Hotel Bellevue was built in 1901 as a wooden construction with lateral towers and oriels. The wooden
construction fitted harmoniously into the rural image of Adelboden. The hotel boom was triggered by teachers and
farmers who – comparable to the gold-diggers who immigrated to America – hoped to gain a secure existence or even
wealth from the new business sector. After the First World War, the Bern Kantonalbank took over the hotel and con-
verted it into a sanatorium. In 1926, Hans and Elisabeth Richard-Bohren purchased the hotel and once again managed Foto: Ruedi Walti
it as a classic hotel. In 1931, the hotel burned down to the foundation walls. A caesura. Nonetheless, the owners had
the hotel rebuilt that very same year: now in the style of Neues Bauen as a whitewashed stone building without frills, 2013: Rückbau des Eingangserkers von 1974 • Dismantling the entrance bay
with narrow, surrounding balconies. Choosing the architects Urfer & Stähli from Interlaken, who had also designed
the progressive swimming-pool structures in Wengen and Interlaken, was audacious.
2013: alte Strukturen in neuer Halle • Old structures in a new hall
Continuing building in classic modern style in a progressive way

A significant person for the Bellevue’s architectural history was Beat Richard (1931−2001), the younger son of Elisabeth
Richard-Boren who had been widowed since 1935. Fascinated by the new language of architecture – he had studied
architecture for several semesters at ETH Zurich – he was very keen on continuing the progressive architectural style
in his parents’ hotel. Already in 1958, the multi-talented young man with a passion for architecture had exerted his
influence – in the case of the, at the time, extension located towards the southwest which his mother had commis-
sioned and where a new restaurant with a veranda was constructed. In 1969, Beat Richard had the Scotch Club 69
built, a select bar- and evening venue, and the redesign of the garden to which he added playful concrete elements.
In 1971 – after his mother’s death in 1970 – Beat Richard withdrew from the family business. The hotel went to his Fotos: Andrea Diglas
older brother Hans-Rudolf Richard (1928−2007) who successfully managed it with his wife Julia until 1995. “The hotel
is a chameleon”, architectural historians are fond of saying. There is no construction task which adapts to the ruling
2013: alte Raumhöhe im neuen Speisesaal • Old ceiling height dining room
zeitgeist as rapidly, and this not always turns out to be only an advantage. In the case of the Parkhotel Bellevue, this
was no different. Rusticity was the new catchword and tourism’s model for success, probably something comparable
to the “Alpine chic” en vogue today. As a reaction to the ruling taste of the time, the conversions commissioned by
Hans-Rudolf Richard and his wife Julia between 1974 and 1991 represented a style inspired by rusticity. The large win-
dow areas in the formerly light-flooded restaurant from 1958 disappeared. A lot of wood was added, the guests like
it. This encouraged the couple to have the garden wing with rooms constructed in 1983.

Adaptation to the building? Not with the approval of the monument-conservation authorities!

In 1990, the renovation of all the south-facing rooms in the main building was scheduled. Hans Rudolf Richard, by
now 63 years old, envisioned changing the face of the Bellevue in order to adapt it to the preceding building of 1901 Fotos: Andrea Diglas
that had burned down: with lateral towers and all-over wooden lagging. An architectural office started sketching. The
almost grotesque representation, however, had little in common with the much simpler drawings and ideas by Hans-
2015: neue Frontzimmer mit HMS Architekten • New rooms at the front
Rudolf Richard. Nevertheless, the sketch was submitted to the cantonal monument preservation and the cultural her-
itage authorities who – hardly surprising – did not approve. They argued that something new should not and must
not imitate the style of past epochs. Even less so if a building which was valuable for architectural history were to
disappear behind the historicizing mask. The objections by the monument preservationists were able to convince
Hans-Rudolf Richard: He gave up the conversion plan for the façade from 1990. It could also be possible that the strong
protests by his brother Beat led to this change in thinking. In any case, the senior director, who died in 2007, left an
architectural jewel to his descendants. Of course, the “façade debate” of 1990 did not pass without being heard by
and leaving traces on the third generation: Andreas, Franziska, Bernhard and Hans Richard and Annemarie Stähli-
Richard. The sensitivity for the value of building fabric with its relevance for architectural history noticeably increased
Fotos: Andrea Diglas
in the siblings, not least since some of them focus on this topic in their own profession.

Last construction phase: 21 rooms at the front by HMS Architekten
2015: Originale Raumstruktur der 1930er Jahre • Original spatial design
The renovation of the 21 south-facing with HMS Architekten in 2015 turned out to be one of the most complex con-
versions of the hotel. After all, the aim was to satisfy the guests’ need for more space and more of a view without
damaging the hotel’s harmonious outside appearance. In the course of the conversion, later added partition walls
were removed and the original eight-part spatial design from the 1930s was restored. The new spacious units now
consist of two original room grids each which are noticeable due to the spatial differentiation between living area and
bedroom. The furnishing of the new “classic” south-facing rooms, which emphasizes the view of the mountains, is
consistently based on the design of the rooms on the ground floor converted in 2013. The herring-bone parquet
reminds of the hotel’s construction period, kilim carpets ensure cosiness and, for the wardrobes and storage furniture,
the designers chose woven cane as it is known from bistro chairs. Walnut and oak as well as black marble are the
materials installed to add accents and charming mid-century classic furniture by Carlo Mollino and Charlotte Perriand
capture the hearts of guests with a passion for design. The cultural heritage authorities involved in the conversion Fotos: Andrea Diglas
approved of this operating argument of improving the possibility for the guests to enjoy the panorama.

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