Plans with Insinuations? – A Cadastral Survey of the Kurhaus Tarasp

Stretching diagonally forward like arms, the two wings of the former Kurhaus Tarasp seem to gesture in a way open to interpretation – especially in view of the Kurhaus's long and eventful history. Could the building be reaching out to embrace its once-magnificent neo-baroque gardens one final time? Or is it a silent cry for help?

What is certain is that the financial situation of the Kurhaus Tarasp – a grand structure that first opened in 1864 – was often precarious. Today, it operates as a hotel under the name Scuol Palace. What remains unchanged is its idyllic location on the shores of the Inn, the main river of the Engadin valley. Yet, much has transformed over the years.

This is not least demonstrated by a plan, a so-called cadastral survey, preserved in the Staatsarchiv Graubünden. Dating from 1898, the plan includes an outhouse labelled “Washing and Steam Boiler,” which was replaced in 1913 by a bathhouse. This bathhouse, however, no longer serves its original purpose. Instead, it now houses the Fundaziun Nairs, dedicated to artistic and cultural endeavours.