Sennhof, Historic correctional facility in Chur, Switzerland

The Sennhof is a building in central Chur featuring traditional Swiss architectural elements with a rectangular structure and multiple stories. The renovated structure now combines residential apartments, small business spaces, and cultural galleries under one roof.

Hans Jacob Wegerich, Chur city councillor and the bishop's mint master, built the house in 1603; it served as a residence and partly as an agricultural and soap-producing operation. In 1817 the young canton of Graubünden bought the property for about 40,000 Swiss francs and turned it into a correctional institution with an examining magistrate. From 1830 to its demolition in 1963 the overcrowded Gelbes Blockhaus formed part of the prison; the Sennhof was enlarged in 1934, closed in spring 2020 and reopened in spring 2023 as housing with commercial space, studios, a museum, a restaurant and a hostel.

The name Sennhof refers to the alpine dairy (Senn) that once operated here. Since spring 2023 the converted complex has housed a museum, workshops and a restaurant alongside flats, and the site is used for events. The former prison yard and the 1934 extension are part of the redevelopment.

The Sennhof stands at the edge of Chur's Old Town, between the Hof and the Regula church. After the 2023 conversion the building holds a hostel, a restaurant, a museum, workshops and commercial space, so visitors can enter for those uses. The site is reached on foot from the Old Town lanes.

The Sennhof's notoriety came from the Gelbe Blockhaus, a yellow detention block that stood from 1830 until its demolition in 1963 and was feared for its cramped conditions. The main building itself was put up in 1603 for Hans Jacob Wegerich, a Chur city councillor and the bishop's mint master, and first served as a dwelling with farming and soap-making on the side.