A building with
a vibrant history
Find out more
A building with
a vibrant history
The Matterhaus, with its nine apartments, is part of the traditional Hotel Alpenclub. It is located on Dorfstrasse, in the heart of the historic village of Engelberg. All of the amenities are just a stone’s throw from the front door of your apartment. The monastery and the ‘Gemeindehaus’ stop for the free ski bus are in the immediate vicinity. A few minutes’ bus ride will bring you to Klostermatte, a paradise for families, and to the valley stations of the Brunni and Titlis cable cars. Numerous restaurants, food shops and sporting goods and specialist stores are just a short walk away.
The Matterhaus is part of Engelberg's history. The chalet-style house was built in the heart of Engelberg in 1868. The Matter family ran a patisserie and tea room in this prominent location near the Benedictine monastery. In 1953, the house burned down and was replaced by a new building. The son of the house, Herbert Matter, ensured that it had a distinctive exterior. The graphic designer and photographer (1907-1984) is one of Engelberg's famous sons.
The new Matterhaus 1965 once again had a tea room and a dance hall on the first floor. The colours brown, white and sky blue dominated the main façade facing Dorfstrasse. This featured the graphic elements and lettering typical of Herbert Matter. Over the years, the building was renovated and extended several times. Its characteristic appearance has completely faded 1989. Until Tino and Peter Lehner, owners of the directly adjacent Alpine Club, acquired the Matterhaus and recognised its potential.
In 2020/21, the historic Matterhaus was extensively revitalised and restored on behalf of the brothers by the Lucerne-based architectural firm GKS Architekten Generalplaner AG and supplemented with a replacement building. A witness to modernity was reborn. Herbert Matter's typical rosette patterns, which had once been painted over, were revived, as was the star-shaped emblem. The faithful brush renovation pays tribute to Herbert Matter.
Following renovation, the Matterhaus now offers nine apartments of various sizes. The first two floors feature six holiday apartments, while the top floors boast three maisonette apartments with stunning views of the Titlis and the surrounding mountains. All units share a compact floor plan and detailed furnishings in a retro look.
The open-plan living concept combines modern carpenter-built kitchens and sanitary facilities with classic furniture from Knoll and iconic lighting from Louis Poulsen. The colour scheme of olive green, orange and brown evokes the spirit of the fifties. Each apartment has its own special feature: in apartment 106, for example, a custom-made wooden screen separates the home office from the sleeping area.
Herbert Matter was an innovative and experimental photographer and graphic designer. His parents owned the Matterhaus. He was born in Engelberg in 1907 and attended the grammar school there. He went on to study art in Geneva and Paris, where his influences included Le Corbusier and where he learned the intricacies of typography. Matter became famous for his tourism posters and his designs for prestigious American fashion magazines. He boldly combined the elements of typography with photo montages, which earned him international acclaim. In 1936, he decided to remain in the USA, where he came into contact with the New York art scene. In 1939, he designed the Swiss pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York. This was followed by further photography commissions, film productions and a professorship at Yale University. In addition, he was responsible for the design and corporate image of the famous designer furniture manufacturer Knoll between 1946 and 1966. Herbert Matter died in the USA in 1984.
Modern interior design meets retro style. Just in time for the 2021/22 winter season, the last two apartments in the Matterhaus are now fully furnished. But chic and beautiful isn't good enough for us. We also focus on sustainability.
A good start: we have already welcomed many guests, who are delighted with the special Matterhaus atmosphere and the amenities offered by the adjacent Alpine Club.
Just like in the old days: with great sensitivity, the restorers have faithfully reproduced the ornamental paintings on the balconies and on the house. The lettering, colours and details of the well-known artist Herbert Matter are also visible again.
Let there be light: the lamps in the stairwell are large, and hanging them was also a big challenge. They now provide beautiful lighting when climbing the stairs and are a real eye-catcher.
Pure nostalgia: even the old «Tea Room Dancing» lettering has found a suitable place in the revitalised building.
Sustainably good: we use district heating, prepare our hot water using heat recovery from the cooling system and have solar panels on the roof. Because it's not just comfort that's important to us, but also the environment.
Completely hollowed out. The renovation of the historic Matterhaus proved to be quite complex: the entire building had to be gutted in order to carry out urgent structural adjustments. The construction team worked their way up floor by floor, starting from the bottom.
