The wall standing between your two nicest rooms
In short
Creating an open-plan kitchen living room is one of the most requested renovations in Switzerland. This guide explains how to recognise a load-bearing wall, when a structural engineer and a permit become mandatory, how to handle ventilation and odours, and what budgets to expect. It also compares open and closed kitchens so you can decide with full knowledge.
You cook alone while your guests chat in the next room. You keep an eye on the children in the living room from a dark hallway. Between the two spaces stands a wall, and almost always it is that wall that decides everything. Even before you talk about style or a central island, one question really matters: what is it actually holding up?
Why an open-plan kitchen living room changes so much
Taking down or breaking through the partition between kitchen and living room brings a facade's light into a room that lacked it, visually enlarges the floor area and changes how you live in the flat day to day. The gain is real, but it is never free: noise, odours and the question of storage move with the wall. A successful open kitchen depends as much on the technical side as on how the space is organised.
Load-bearing wall or plain partition: the question that changes everything
A load-bearing wall supports the structure of the building: floor slabs, upper storeys, sometimes the roof. A partition merely separates two rooms and can disappear with no structural consequence. A few clues help form a first impression: a load-bearing wall is usually thicker (often 15 cm or more in concrete or solid brick), sounds solid when tapped, and lines up with other walls on the storeys above. But none of these signs is enough to settle it.
The only certainty comes from a structural engineer, ideally working from the building's original plans. Never knock down a wall on a hunch: a wrong diagnosis can compromise the stability of the whole building.
Have a structural engineer confirm whether the wall is load-bearing, from the plans or an on-site survey.
In a condominium, a load-bearing wall is common property: approval from the co-owners' assembly is required.
For any building predating 1991, an asbestos survey is advisable before opening walls, adhesives and plaster.
A powerful, properly sized extractor hood must be planned before the works, not afterwards.
Check with the municipality whether a permit is needed, especially if the facade or structure is affected.
What a load-bearing wall really demands
Opening a load-bearing wall does not mean giving it up: it means replacing the removed section with an element able to take up the loads. In practice, an engineer sizes a lintel or beam, then signs off on its installation. Depending on the span and the loads, several solutions exist:
- Steel beam (IPE or HEA profile), the most common solution for large openings.
- Reinforced concrete lintel, cast in place or precast, suited to certain spans.
- Reinforcements and side bearings, because the load must travel down to the foundations with no weak point.
- Temporary shoring during the works, to hold the structure while the beam is installed.
A load-bearing wall is not removed, it is replaced. The whole craft lies in routing the load another way, without the occupants ever noticing.
Ventilation and odours: the point people underestimate
As long as the kitchen was closed, a door was enough to hold back odours and moisture. Once it is open, everything spreads into the living room, into the fabrics and as far as the bedrooms. The choice of extractor hood therefore becomes central, and two approaches compete:
- Ducted hood (extraction): the loaded air is expelled outside through a duct. It is the most effective system against odours, but it requires a route to the facade or roof, not always possible in a flat.
- Recirculating hood: the air is filtered through activated charcoal and returned to the room. No duct, simple installation, but weaker against odours and filters to replace regularly.
- Downdraft (retractable) hood or a powerful unit above an island: to be sized by airflow and noise level, often overlooked at the time of purchase.
Unsure whether your wall is load-bearing or whether the opening is feasible? A first structured opinion prevents nasty surprises before the works begin. Compare architects in your canton
Permits and condominiums: what to check before you start
In Switzerland, interior works that touch neither the structure nor the facade are often exempt from a building permit. Removing a plain non-load-bearing partition generally requires no permit. As soon as a load-bearing wall or the facade is affected, however, a municipal permit generally becomes necessary. Because the rules vary from one canton and municipality to another, checking in advance with the relevant office is strongly advised.
In a condominium, a further layer applies: a load-bearing wall is part of the common areas. Breaking through or opening it therefore requires the approval of the co-owners' assembly, independently of any administrative permit. Skipping this step risks a work stoppage, an obligation to restore the wall and compensation claims. Consult the condominium rules before commissioning anything.
What an open kitchen costs
The budget depends first on the wall. Removing a light partition stays modest; opening a load-bearing wall with a beam and an engineer's study is another scale entirely. On top of the works come the fees: an interior architect typically charges 15 to 22 % of the works, or 120 to 300 CHF per hour. Set aside a reserve of 10 to 20 % for the unexpected, common in older buildings, where overruns often reach 15 to 25 %.
Indicative ranges per item
Open or closed kitchen: weighing the pros and cons
- More light and perceived volume
- Sociability: you cook with the others
- Easy to keep an eye on children
- Odours and noise spread into the living room
- Storage to rethink, everything is on show
- Odours and noise held back by a door
- Mess invisible from the living room
- Two distinct atmospheres
- Less light passing through
- Space sometimes felt as compartmentalised
Island, storage, acoustics: making the room work once it is open
Once the wall is down, the layout makes the difference. A central island can structure the space, add a further worktop and mark the soft boundary between kitchen and living room, provided you leave at least 90 to 120 cm of passage all around. Storage must offset the loss of the walls: tall full-height cupboards, deep drawers, a larder if possible. Acoustically, an open space echoes more: rugs, curtains, panels and absorbent materials soften the noise of a dishwasher or a hood. These choices are decided on the plan, before the works, not once the kitchen is installed.
From idea to plan
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Some clues help: thickness (often 15 cm or more), a solid sound when tapped, alignment with walls on the other storeys. But only the building plans and the opinion of a structural engineer allow a certain conclusion. Never rely on intuition alone before knocking through.
Removing a non-load-bearing interior partition generally requires no permit. Touching a load-bearing wall or the facade, however, generally makes a municipal permit necessary. The rules vary by canton and municipality: check with the relevant office before you start.
A load-bearing wall is a common part of the condominium. Opening it therefore requires the approval of the co-owners' assembly, in addition to any administrative permit. Without that approval, the works can be stopped and you may be forced to restore the wall. Consult the condominium rules beforehand.
A ducted hood, which expels the air outside, remains the most effective against odours, but it needs a duct to the facade or roof. A recirculating hood filters the air through activated charcoal and installs anywhere, at the cost of weaker performance and filters to change. In an open kitchen, ducted extraction is preferable when it is possible.
For any building erected before 1991, an asbestos survey is strongly recommended before opening walls, partitions, adhesives or plaster, because asbestos was widely used at the time. The survey protects occupants and workers and shapes how the works are carried out.