architek[tour] tirol – guide to architecture in tyrol

The Klösterle - an abandoned monastery in the centre of Imst - had stood empty for decades. Its proximity to the Gurgltal care centre made it ideal for conversion – a potential that STUDIO LOIS made use of through their renovation and extension. The listed building was carefully revitalised for assisted living and a new wing was built behind it, connecting the Klösterle to the existing nursing home.

The rarely used garden of a single-family house was utilized for a high-quality densification consisting of a new working space along the boundary of the property and a small tower apartment. The new building components, which are equipped with imaginative and precisely executed details, were arranged in such a way that a small ensemble of old and new surrounds the atrium-like, lowered courtyard.

The revitalisation of the farmhouse in East Tyrol is an example of how historical buildings can be made fit for the future through careful renovation and the installation of modern technology, without losing their original charm. The exterior of the farmhouse remains virtually unchanged, while the interior surprises with a two-storey kitchen and an attic that has been converted into a large, column-free room, both of which have been completely lined with larch wood.

The Rimml Areal stood empty for decades until it was purchased by the municipality of Oberhofen and revitalised as their new municipal office. In transforming the 400-year-old ensemble, the architects' premise was to combine the needs of the present with the history of the existing building. The inn, which is protected as a historic monument, was carefully restored and adapted, the pavilion and bowling alley renovated, and the former wooden barn reactivated as a cultural centre.

Located next to the Zeughaus, the residential building was designed to provide an orderly response to the heterogeneous development around the historic courtyard and to clearly define the park along the Sill. As a result, three buildings of varying heights form a staggered arrangement, the striking façade design works to promote a contained environment and sense of neighbourhood. Efficiently organised apartments in different typologies and differentiated open spaces contribute to the quality of the residential building.

The cemetery of the church of St. Gertraud, located on a slope above Außervillgraten, was extended to include urns in 2023. A 60-metre long, light-coloured concrete wall with a slightly projecting roof slab was built on the slope in front of the old rubble wall. To the south it runs parallel to the church and enables intimate access to the cemetery and chapel. In the northern part, the urn graves, each consisting of one closed and two open niches, have been set into the wall in a loose arrangement.

In order to create a contemporary rehearsal venue for the Wilten Boys' Choir, the idea of building on top of the petrol station on the grounds of the monastery of Wilten was born. A largely closed structure overhangs the fuel station on the street side and appears self-confident with its continuous outer skin of natural copper sheeting. The rehearsal room upstairs is illuminated and ventilated via an atrium, and a small pub is integrated into the petrol station downstairs.

In the next few years, around 1,000 new apartments will be built on the Campagne site in the Reichenau district of Innsbruck. On the first of the four construction fields, Bogenfeld Architektur implemented a concept based on the main idea of an open-air living room. Between four buildings of different shapes, they create a sequence of alleys, squares and gardens that are intended to promote a lively coexistence.

As a contribution to the careful use of soil as a resource, the supermarket chain MPREIS has built a food market in Volders, whose roof serves as a construction site for a high-quality residential building. Both functions are clearly separated from each other and designed differently as a result. The roof area around the residential building was greened and equipped with a community terrace.

With the P3, PEMA Holding is building its third tower in Innsbruck, directly opposite the Adambräu. The architects realised a slender building consisting of a four-storey base and a 10-storey structure, which forms a clear end to the station area. Hotel "Motel One" is located in the tower, and the "reiter design" showroom and office spaces are located in the base.

After a change of ownership, a town house with its core dating back to the 15th century on Kufstein's town square was converted into a hotel with a restaurant, coffee house and its own roastery and extended by a new building on Marktgasse used as an office building. Through targeted contemporary interventions, the historical substance was further developed into a new unity in which the old and the new always remain recognisable.

Based on a study of the qualities of a historic city centre, the architect planned three buildings with 55 apartments, space for various service providers and a café, which fit into the existing structure in shape and size. The result is a lively area with a network of alleyways, a varied appearance and clear references to the city's identity-shaping buildings.

The building, which is located in the historically grown, densely built environment of the Höttinger Gasse, was the result of an invited architectural competition. Situated directly on the street, the red concrete building, which draws inspiration from the colour of the historic town, protects the courtyard behind it from view and noise, while the protruding commercial unit is reminiscent of the small shop which was demolished.

Due to the historical significance of the Inn Bridge, which was built in 1982 on the site of the first bridge of the same name, the city of Innsbruck decided to commission an architect to oversee the general refurbishment. With just a few design measures, it was possible to transform the traffic structure into an inviting public space. All unnecessary walls were removed and replaced by a spatially interwoven railing, the connection to the bridgeheads was redesigned and new lighting was installed.

Since 2010, people with disabilities have found a job in a restaurant run by Lebenshilfe Tirol in Innsbruck Landhaus 2. The starting point for the conversion was the wish for more flexible event options in the dining area and the creative implementation of the motto "eat colorfully.” The architects implemented these requirements with the help of curtain panels in two colors, which allow different room configurations quickly and easily and fulfill the desired color scheme.

The municipality of Fliess has been trying for several years to counteract the threat of migration. After a multifunctional village centre, the sports and leisure facility is another building block to encourage young people to stay in the village. Based on the topography, the architects placed several horizontally layered levels on, over and against the edge of the hillside: including a clubhouse, a sauna structure by the outdoor pool and a cantilevered deck along the main football field.

The transformation of a historic town house into a boutique hotel is the latest example of the urban renewal process in Rattenberg that started in 2003. In the course of this process, several houses in the old town, which is protected as an ensemble, have been revitalised and vacancies filled with new life. With respect towards the heritage listed building, the very narrow house was renovated from the core up and supplemented with contemporary structures where necessary.

The new school building in the densely built-up centre of Innsbruck provides a differentiated range of rooms despite the necessary compactness. The building is divided into three parts by trapezoidal incisions, which are connected on the side facing away from the street by balcony zones that provide the pupils with a kind of vertical schoolyard.

Like many other schools, the HTL Bau und Design (Technical High School for Structural and Civil Engineering and Design) is affected by an acute shortage of space. ao-architekten realized the desired extension as a compact, single-story addition to the main wing, which clearly stands out from the existing structure through a band of windows running around the entire story. In the building, which is characterized by an open spatial structure and supplied with northern light via sheds, a studio-like ambiance with a high quality of stay was created for the seven final-year classes.

In the course of the expansion and functional adaptation of the Schwaz District Commission, a former passage courtyard was transformed into an attractive urban space. The upper level of the square was expanded, and the difference in level to the lower level has been overcome by a spacious open staircase with steps for seating. The partial, pavilion-like roofing of the stairs and the front area offers protection and forms the spatial framework for this new meeting place.

Built in 1883 in exposed high alpine surroundings on Spitzkofel Mountain (Lienz Dolomites), the Linderhütte was largely destroyed by a storm in 2018. On the initiative of several architects from Lienz, the small hut was rebuilt with the help of donations, sponsorship and voluntary work. The shape, dimension and materiality of the historic old structure were not changed, and a self-supporting "inner chamber” made of solid wood elements was placed in the reconstructed solid building.

In the Tyrolean community in the lower Ötztal Valley, which is characterized by tourism and tradition, an attractive site for the village community was created with the new music pavilion. An elongated wall is flanked by two side arms for technical equipment, storage, toilets and a bar, while the slightly sloping terrain is used as a natural grandstand. The pavilion takes on its very own character through the use of tamped concrete, the exact granulation and pigmentation of which was developed in numerous experiments.

The revitalization of the 300-year-old shed is an example of how old farm buildings can be preserved and transformed for new functions in line with the "Reuse” philosophy. In the spirit of the Tiny House movement, the outbuilding utilized for storage purposes was transformed into a minimalist dwelling. As much of the existing building as possible was preserved and new things were implemented – in a clearly legible manner – using regional materials.

In the course of the organisational transformation of the former "Pädak" into a university of teacher education, the existing building, which was constructed in the 1970s, was renovated and extended. ARSP Architekten added two more volumes to the existing ones and created clearly structured areas for the individual units of use.

In the centre of Kundl, between the secondary school and the music school, a new primary school building was erected in place of an old building in the format of a compact structure in which the functions are vertically layered. On the ground floor, which is glazed all around, are the communal areas, above are two learning floors and below is a large triple sports hall shared with the secondary school and clubs.

The primary school of Brixlegg was built in the mid-1960s by the Brixlegg architect Josef Gschösser according to the concept of an atrium school. The school was upgraded functionally and spatially through targeted interventions with careful handling of the existing building substance. As part of one of the measures, the main entrance was relocated to the east and redesigned as a sheltered entrance area.

The new town hall in Nauders emerged - like many others - from a competition supported by the Tyrolean Village Renewal. A compact exposed concrete structure with a light gable roof gives the community an appropriate presence through its form and height development. Between the new building and the former town hall from the 1950s, which has now been repurposed, an attractive village square has been created.

The little house in Fulpmes is a paramount example of the resource-saving approach to building materials and upcycling. Materials from a nearly 200-year-old, demolished threshing floor were utilized, as well as used windows, doors and glass. Moreover, regional or inexpensive materials were primarily used. A radically stripped-down, open-use space emerged on the ground floor, and a one-room apartment on the upper floor, largely equipped with used items.

An approximately 300-year-old mountain farmhouse at an altitude of 1,200 meters was sustainably revitalized with careful attention to historic preservation and based on the tradition of "building on.” Taking into account the farming past, as well as the more recent history, a harmonious ensemble was created with sensitivity and through the introduction of new architectural elements such as lattice windows, raw steel fittings and the use of conglomerate rock.

In a 17 m2-large shop, Rainer Köberl set up a Nepalese take-away for Dil Ghamal – a building owner for whom the architect had already planned the "Sensei” and "Meer Sensei” sushi bars. The space is kept in the basic silver color. Its dark walnut, mirror and a Sanskrit proverb on the wall exude a touch of Nepal.

Designed by Rainer Köberl and Daniela Kröss, the museum building lies like a small fortress on a steep slope. Rising above a roughly pentagonal layout is a tower-like structure that gets its conciseness from the clear form and the reduction of the design elements to reddish-colored concrete in connection with bold red steel elements. From the entrance on the ground floor, visitors are guided through two exhibition levels up to a viewing terrace, which leads over a footbridge into the ibex enclosure.

The former granary in the commercial area of Hall was converted into a transshipment center for wood pellets for an energy company and expanded to include a space for company events. The basic idea of the design was to place a crown on the existing tower and thus transform the anonymous commercial structure into an architecturally striking building. The two-story addition was encased in a filigree precast concrete façade, the grid of which refers to the structures found in the existing building.

Dating back to the 13th century, the core of Heinfels Castle had fallen into disrepair over the past century. In 2007, the South Tyrolean company Loacker took over the ruin and, in cooperation with the Federal Monuments Office, the State of Tyrol and the newly founded museum association, developed a concept to make them usable for tourism and culture. In a balancing act between old and new, parts of the large castle complex were preserved and restored, while others were reconstructed and reinterpreted.