Channelbeta - Projects - Strata Hotel

Located on a steep hillside in the Italian Dolomites this new-built hotel has been developed as the interweaving of the free-flowing topography- indexed and organized by series of timber strips- and the serial sequence of appartment units perpendicular to it.

Skin organisation as strata:

Since the overall shape was developed from the local planning guidelines, the linear distribution of units and the views and sun directions, it is a resultant of the constant negotiations among all these parameters as well as a topological answer to the picturesque typologies frequently built in the area.
From applying the logic of topographical mapping i.e. the indexing of horizontal sections as continuous lines, the volume is formed as a series of strata that as an artificial entity maintains a dialogue with its natural environment. I The bands surround the volume at different scales, peeling off from it, flowing into the landscape and blurring the boundaries of the building. In addition these horizontal sections operate as control lines, enabling the generation of curved hyperbolic-parabolic geometry.
Whilst the horizontal bands are always straight, the relationship between them is geometrically complex and at the same time crucial for the global morphology. To achieve the necessary precision and make the mounting of the elements a straightforward affair, we devised thin posts from galvanised steel. Made by lasercutting and folding from flat sheet, the posts contain brackets to hold the timber strips automatically at their acurate positions at the various heights. With these steel uprisers in the same module as the apartment layout, the the balconies become in-between zones that negotiate- functionally and structurally- the internal rationale of the apartments ruled by efficiency and repetition with the exterior as extension of the topography.

Programme:

The building is an extension to an already existing Apart – Hotel. As the context was not considered worth to be continued, the old and the new part connect only at an underground level and through a mediating low and inconspicuous building volume at ground floor level. The main building volume distinguishes consciously from the existing part.
Programmatically the new volume is divided into two parts: the right side of the wing is a rigid addition of the axis of the guestrooms, all directed to the view and the sun, the left one together with the mediating building is occupied by the private house of the client.
The two parts are visually divided from each other through a building volume which reads as an artificial topography and is an extension of the existing natural landscape. Programmatically this volume gives privacy to each of the two different zones of the building, conceptually the natural landscape unfolds into an artificial one and connects into the façade of the building which reads a series of folded bands which run around the volume and connect in the different parts to the natural topography of the hillside.

The guestrooms:

The 10 new guestrooms are all developed as family apartments – the available area asked for a very compact spatial solution which is able to provide in each appartement room for up to 6 people – but in the same time does not give the sensation to bee too big if booked only by a couple.
All the appartements provide space for a living and cooking-dining area which is divided by a piece of furniture from the sleeping area of the parents, the kids get their own small sleeping corner ( max 3).
In addition a small cot is integrated in the furniture piece which divides the sleeping from the living area. If the cot is not in use the railing folds down and gives more storage space. This multifunctional object besides providing storage has an integrated flat TV which can be turned to either side: living or sleeping; it contains a safe and has an integrated indirect light towards the ceiling.
The furniture repeats the material of the outside bands: local larch wood with horizontal veneer direction. The wooden furniture is treated with a white very resistant oil which on the one hand guarantees a natural effect, but on the other avoids that it darkens too much with sun influence. A series of wooden sticks is brought into the interior: it unfolds from a bench into a shelf and into a sofa and connects visually to the outside bands of the balconies.
In addition each floor is accentuated by a different colour scheme which is visible starting from the main interior staircase, to the kitchenette and bathroom furniture pieces, also the chosen textiles repeat this scheme and are realized in a local wool fabric called “Loden”.
All the chosen materials should guarantee a warm and cosy interior which fulfills the guests expectations of a small mountain resort in the middle of the Alps – even if they find themselves in a very contemporary architecture.
Each room has a balcony directed to view and sun, the façade behind is fully glazed.
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Private area:

The private house of the client provides inside and outside a series of spaces which give a great variety of scale, views and directions.

Plasma Studio - Eva castro, Holger Kehne, Ulla Hell

Unit 51- Regent Studios
8 Andrews Road
UK- London E8 4QN

Lanerweg 18
39030 Sesto (Bolzano)
ITALY

LINKS:

Next generation Award

PROJECT DATA

PROJECT : Addition to 4 star Apart – Hotel

PROGRAMME : underground parking, Family Appartements, local appartment for the client

SIZE : 1.510m²a

COMPLETED : October 2007

CREDITS

CLIENT : J. Rainer, C.Schwienbacher/ Residence Koenigswarte

ARCHITECTURE : Plasma Studio (E. Castro , H. Kehne, U. Hell)

STRUCTURAL ENGENEER : Ingenieurgemeinschaft Team 4a

FIRE SAFETY : Technisches Büro Jud _ Per. Ind. Alfred Jud

SERVICES ENGEER: Ekon Bruneck

MAIN CONTRATCOR: Bauunternehmung Frey

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS: Eltec

SANITARY INSTALLATION: Egarter Werner

EXCAVATION: Firma Oberschmied

MAIN METALL STRCUTURES : Firma Frey Metalltech

METALL STRCUTURES 02 : Firma Erharter

WINDOWS : Tecno Fenster

PVC WINDOWS/: Firma Feba

METALL DOOR: Metalport

TILE WORKS : Hofer Fliese

INDUSTRIAL FLOOR GARAGE: Firma Torggler/ BAKI

WOODDEN FLOORING: Firma Trojer Franz

PLASTER WORKS : Reinhard Tschurtschenthale

WOODEN DOORS: Gruber Türen

CORRIDOR LIGHTS: Lightsystems

LIGHT FITTINGS ROOMS : Dueffeilluminazioni

SEALING WORKS : Pargger Helmuth

CARPENTER: Lusser Andreas

METAL SHEETS/ : Tschurtschenthaler Paul

FURNITURE: Tischlerei Watschinger