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ALPINE ARCHITECTURE

year: 2008 | typologie: residential | status: complete

Kitzbühel.jpg

The “Alpine Building” project is a contrast to the otherwise ornate architectural style in blooming Kitzbühel and attracts attention with its strong, contemporary appearance. The alpine architecture must not succumb to the prevailing kitsch, but should also offer space for progressive views. The design is conceived as a spiral shaped sculpture that is put together from several "wooden blocks" to form a three-storey and 350 m² building. In the structurally most demanding area, the two cantilevered components, formulated as “bridgeheads”

 

rest on only one small part of the building and protrude eight on one side and twelve meters on the other. The intention of the architectural appearance is to make the two bodies look like two abstract jumps. The resulting forces are diverted into an experimental steel framework with six centimeter thick steel cables, the resulting tilting movement is balanced by a foundation formulated as a counterweight. The construction as a design element is consciously given space for visible development.

 

The outer skin is clad by wooden panels coated with synthetic resin. The steel construction is combined with an energetically consistent wooden substructure with cellulose thermal insulation to form a mixed construction. The L-shaped ground floor is a solid construction and its arrangement forms a private inner courtyard. In addition to the construction concept, the room configuration is also of elementary importance for the work.

The forecourt creates a calculated distance to the public street space and to the neighbors. The design invites you to enter the house thanks to the more reservedly shaped area in front of the entrance, under the floating cube. In this cube there is a youth room. The counterpart to this is an apartment with its own entrance on the ground floor, which is also designed for use as a guest room.

Kitzbühl 2
Auskrakung Kitzbühl

The floor plan of the house opens up a line of sight into the sheltered inner courtyard when entering the anteroom. The intention is that the eye of the beholder is lost in the outside space and then wanders on into the spacious living and dining area. The twelve meter protruding cantilever makes an impressive impression. A protected and shaded room was created underneath, which invites you to linger and which should make the building appear in an unorthodox U-shape.

Kitzbühl

In the living and dining area, there is a vertical access that is designed as a “spiral upwards”, from which the three floors of the sculpture can be accessed. The first floor is made up of the twelve meter cantilevered cube with a dressing room and bedroom. In the front part of the cube is the spacious adventure pool, the shower of which is a satined water spiral. From the cocoon-shaped, free-standing tub, the Hahnenkamm race can be seen in winter. In front of the cuboid on the first floor is a terrace that provides generous free space with a 360-degree panorama.

Kitzbühl

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