Danish design studio Space Copenhagen has reimagined the interiors of the 12th-century Schloss Schauenstein in the Swiss Alps, creating an exquisite balance between medieval heritage and contemporary elegance.

Natural materials including oak, wool, and linen create a warm contrast against the castle's original features.
© Joachim Wichmann

The ivy-clad medieval fortress known as Schloss Schauenstein, nestled in Fürstenau, Switzerland has undergone a sensitive redesign that honours the castle's 12th-century heritage while introducing a sophisticated contemporary layer, courtesy of Danish designers Space Copenhagen.

The Chimney Room Bar showcases warm rust tones and contemporary furnishings that create a cocooning atmosphere for guests.
© Joachim Wichmann

The moment guests cross the threshold of Schloss Schauenstein, they enter a world where ancient stone walls and timber beams engage in quiet dialogue with carefully curated modern elements. The lobby sets the tone for Space Copenhagen's restrained aesthetic, featuring timeless pieces from Studio Oliver Gustav, including a striking stone side table by Maverick Lee and brass table lamp by Michael Verheyden. These contemporary additions don't compete with the historic architecture—but rather, they create intimate moments of elegance within the castle's grand narrative.

Light floods into the restaurant with views of the spectacular surrounding area on offer.
© Joachim Wichmann

The dining room, the castle's beating heart, exemplifies this thoughtful design approach. Soft illumination casts shadows across textured walls, creating an atmosphere of calm anticipation that perfectly complements the restaurant’s celebrated cuisine. Custom Sela dining chairs from De La Espada, upholstered in a distinctive blend of wood, leather, and textile, demonstrate the same meticulous attention to detail. Local artisans have crafted bespoke tableware and furniture from wood and stone, ensuring every element reflects the commitment to craftsmanship.

The historic stone façade of the 12th-century castle emerges from the Swiss Alpine landscape, its ivy-clad walls telling centuries of stories.
© Joachim Wichmann

In the Chimney Room Bar, warm rust tones create an enveloping cocoon enhanced by Space Copenhagen's own designs: Loafer sofas for &Tradition, Stay Chairs for Gubi, and Frama's Sintra Stone Lounge Tables. Throughout the interiors, vintage pieces salvaged from the castle have been lovingly upcycled and reupholstered, creating a layered narrative that seamlessly integrates past and present. The guest rooms, meanwhile, reveal perhaps the most intimate expression of this design philosophy. Each room offers its own distinct character while maintaining an understated elegance that speaks to the surrounding alpine landscape. Natural materials—oak, soft wool, and linen—introduce contemporary warmth against the backdrop of original stone and timber-clad walls. The colour palette here includes nature-inspired soft greys, burnt orange, forest greens, while warm neutrals create spaces that feel both grounded and serene.

Blush tones combine with timber flooring to add a truly contemporary touch.
© Joachim Wichmann

Atmospheric lighting shifts throughout the day, casting evolving shadows across textured surfaces, while large windows frame dramatic valley views that blur the boundaries between the restaurant’s interior sanctuary and alpine wilderness. "Each room is a study in understated elegance, deliberately stripped of excess to let the architecture, and the guest's own experience, breathe," explains Signe Bindslev Henriksen, Space Copenhagen's co-founder. Her partner Peter Bundgaard Rützou adds that the rooms offer "different forms of respite" while sharing "comfort, privacy, and connection to the landscape."

For Andreas Caminada, chef-owner of Schloss Schauenstein, the collaboration represents a perfect harmony between tradition and innovation. "Guests should feel at home in every corner and enjoy both the culinary journey and the castle with all their senses," he explains. In summary, this is a project where hospitality, memory and modernity converge.

© All pictures: Joachim Wichmann

Originally written by Helen Parton