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Architects: Obermoser + partner architekten
- Area: 15985 ft²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Christian Flatscher
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Nocker, Tip Top Fenster, Tischlerei Riml, Zimmerei Thurner
Design concept. The building is located at a respectful distance from the existing buildings. The amount of light exposure, the visual relationships to the landscape, and the generous voids between existing tissue and new volume have been thoughtfully planned.
In terms of height and volume, the building reacts to its immediate surroundings by respectfully sinking and rising in correspondence to given alignments, shaping its appearance and orientation in an ideal relationship to the given location. By dynamically leaning forward, the volume formally encloses the forecourt, gaining clearly a prominent role within the town square and symbolically bowing to the guests.
One homogeneous paving material for the forecourt and ground floor blurs intentionally the boundaries between outdoor and indoor, as an inviting gesture to the guests. With a glazed front on the ground floor westside, the façade echoes this open attitude, lifting its wooden shell like an open mouth towards the square and the river.
The square can be flexibly reorganized for various events thanks to its formal freedom, while indoor interactive exhibitions present the natural surroundings nearby and their unexplored potential. The building interiors are organized around a central distribution core, with an open staircase and an elevator piercing the interior spaces. Underground car access is provided by the garage of the adjacent hotel.
On the upper floors, flexible distribution arrangements, floor-to-ceiling furniture, and glass partitions clearly define working groups and thematic areas, rearrangeable anytime. Constructive elements enable as well free distribution and versatile solutions for any functional area, over any fruition period. As a particular feature on the top floor, a sloping roof generates a generous space, while an oversized glass frame creates an extraordinary interplay between natural surroundings, buildings, and users.
Construction. Our choice to employ structural wooden elements enabled short construction times and it’s a clear sign of our commitment to nature. Materials could be locally produced and quickly delivered. The execution procedures guaranteed the implementation of low-energetic standards and thus an energy-optimized building. The basement was built in waterproof reinforced concrete. The underground garage has been designed to fulfill a maximum capacity usage, further implemented by an additional number of parking places.
Materiality. Regional materials have been chosen with a clear reference to the surrounding landscape. Through skillful arrangements and combinations, the building got a modern, honest character with a strong reference to traditional craftsmanship.
The spacious ground floor, with its high-tech information point and a restrained linear design, reflects the forward-looking strategy of Ötztal Tourism. The outer skin clad in pre-grey larch shingles, full-height-wooden windows, and the open glass façade on the ground floor created a distinctive overall image, outgrowing the surrounding buildings.
