The enchanting mountain by Peter Pichler

You must be very pleased. Tell us about the challenges of this latest adventure in Alto Adige.

The first challenge was to win the competition held in 2015 by the Schgaguler family for the expansion and renovation of its hotel. The second was to do the project in just four months, so as not to interrupt the facility’s business.

Did you manage?

Yes, thanks to our studio’s extraordinary team. We opened the worksite on 12 March and unveiled the new hotel on 15 July. High-performance construction methods and technologies allowed us to meet this ambitious deadline. An important contribution also came from the local builders, with their commitment and the amazing quality of their work. For me it is always important to rely on local expertise and materials.

How did you approach the relationship with the town and the landscape?

By creating a building that conserves its independence, but without overlooking the local context. Castelrotto was the place of reference, but above all the design was driven by the mountain.

How did you cope with that presence?

The key idea was to make the Sciliar Massif become the protagonist, bringing it inside the hotel, so to speak. Starting with the use of stone. The floor of the hall and the reception counter are in beola: a block of stone, cut with water, which immediately tells you we are in the mountains. We also made use of Dolomitgestein (Dolomite stone) treated with lime, which gives the facade the natural look of a shade of white borrowed from nature. Local materials also went into the furnishings of the rooms and the restaurant, custom made with chestnut wood, thanks to skilled artisans of Alto Adige.

In morphological terms, how does the hotel establish a dialogue with the landscape?

Through the glass facade that makes the building transparent. The Sciliar Massif seems to literally enter the rooms facing south...

...and with respect to the town?

The front on the road has the same transparency, opening the hotel to people: this is the location of the public area of the bar and restaurant. Only one suite faces the town: in this case, the iconic steeple of Castelrotto becomes the protagonist.