Incredible Architecture: A House Perched on a Precipitous Swiss Mountain

This house was built on impossible terrain at a height of 4003 meters (13133 feet) in Switzerland in 1915. I wonder what technique was used to get it all up there, above the clouds…

The highest house in the world is a stopping point for mountaineers conquering the Matterhorn peak in Switzerland.

Solvay Hut is a small wooden house located halfway up the Matterhorn mountain near Zermatt in the Valais canton, Switzerland.

At an altitude of 4,003 meters, it is the highest mountain hut in the world. Its main function is to provide food and a resting place for mountaineers.

However, Solvay Hut can only be used in emergency cases. It is located above the Hörnli Hut at about 743m and is 475m away from the mountain peak.

Many climbers who conquer the Matterhorn peak stop by outside Solvay Hut to admire the scenery of the Monte Rosa mountain range.

Solvay Hut was built in 1915. Materials were brought up to Hörnli Hut using pack animals, and from there, a temporary cable system was used to transport the materials to an altitude of over 4,000 meters.

The house was constructed in just 5 days. In 1966, it was rebuilt, and in 1976, an emergency telephone station was installed.

The house is named after Ernest Solvay (1838-1922), a Belgian mountaineer, explorer, and businessman. Solvay also contributed funds for the construction of this facility.