Haus Wilson (Wilson House)

History:
Until the 19th century, the route from St.Gallen to Teufen was a long, steep road with a cumulative elevation gain of 430 meters. Around 1860, an alternative route was opened up for traffic, which was 1.9 km longer but only had a difference in altitude of 160 meters. The road was improved in 1880 and renamed from Plattenstrasse to Teufener Strasse. From 1913, a streetcar ran there and the street became an attractive address for new commercial buildings, including Haus Wilson.
Architecture:
With Haus Wilson, the architects “Curjel & Moser” set an architectural milestone at the beginning of this street. The structure of the building is made of concrete and clad in sandstone. The lower storeys look like a plinth, which forms the basis for the four-storey high pillars. Behind this is a completely windowed second façade level. The six-storey tower with its dominant dome protrudes from the rounded façade and towers above the wings of the building, whose top storeys are set back and therefore not visible from the street.
Current use:
The family-run Filtex AG has been based in the architectural “lighthouse” since 1919. As a leading trading and production company, the company supplies customers worldwide with fine cotton fabrics, nouveau fabrics, embroidery, home textiles and raw fabrics.