architek[tour] tirol – guide to architecture in tyrol

The double lane expansion of the Arlberg tunnel carried out in 1998 provided the chance to demolish the old railway station originally in the middle of the village and build a new one on the south side of the valley. The design, emerging from a Europe-wide contest, is a new interpretation of the "Railway Station”. The actual station building is not a solitary building away from the railway lines, but a part of the landscape designing process.

AllesWirdGut constructed a church for the St. Anton Vicarage, with living accommodation for the minister and his guests, a parish office, a leisure room for local youths and, sleeping accommodation for those who would like to take a rest whilst on a pilgrimage along the "Way of St. James” to Santiago de Compostela. By making use of the slope facing towards the south and the spatial possibilities provided by a steep gable ended roof, it was possible to accommodate all functions in a compact four storey building.

Such as the Church Centre constructed by AllesWirdGut, the nursery school also forms an artistic unit in accordance with town planning ideas. The building is situated at the northeast edge of the plot, thus at a distance from the busy road. Large windows and a saw-tooth roof allow light to flood the inside of the building, which, right down to the very last detail, is adapted to suit children. In 2016, the kindergarten was expanded with a one-storey wooden building (architecture: Karl Gitterle).

Hotels in the style of oversized farmhouses are still being built in Tyrol. The "Arlmont” – constructed by the Tatanka Ideenvertriebs GmbH – shows that the younger tourist generation are now starting to change their views. Instead of a carved wooden balcony, a balustrade made of a reddish coloured exposed concrete surrounds the building with its organic sweeping outline. Room high windows offer guests an ambience bathed in light.

The finish line stadium constructed for the skiing world championships, were constructed by the same architectural-team that built the new St. Anton railway station. The tranquil wood-panel covered building is intertwined with the surrounding terrain in such a way, that the finish line stadium seems to be more of a topographic intervention than a building. With its many seminar rooms and fixed stand for 2000 persons, the finish line stadium is the perfect place for various outdoor events.

As part of the 2001 Alpine Skiing World Championships, Dietrich Untertrifaller completed the wellness and leisure centre, which during the championships served as a medical centre. The majority of its volume is embedded in the slope, the flat greened roof blends in with the surrounding area. From the slope one only sees three small "barn-like” structures and the 2000m2 large hall’s skylights at a right angle to the slope.

The Galzigbahn valley station presents itself as a very individual and at first sight, strange artificial design. However, the glass-steel-concrete building is by no means an architectural self-dramatisation, but a form developed directly from the innovative cable lift technology. A sweeping building with a glass roof rises above massive concrete head walls. This portrays the lifts sequence of motions and reveals the technical inner mechanism.

Due to the relocation of the railway lines, the family running the hotel had to close it down and relocate by opening a new hotel on the grounds of the old railway station. The hotel they built is a flexible useful house with rooms, which due to the sliding partitions, can be turned into completely functional apartments. The outside of the hotel is decorated with a wood-shingle-façade and large glazed areas; protruding alcoves in the rooms provide resting areas with a view across the mountains.

Just 150 metres from the Galzigbahn– also planned by the Driendl* architects – the new Rendlbahn connects the town centre with the other side of the valley for the first time. The lower level of the dynamic steel, glass and concrete building is used as a bus terminal, with guests being able to directly access the gondola’s boarding area via an escalator. A long sweeping footbridge connects the end of the ski slope with the valley station, which has been integrated into the surrounding area.

For many years the steep south slope next to the road leading to the Arlberg Pass was considered as being unsuitable for development. To realise the "Lux Alpinae” construction, the slope was dug out three storeys deep, a two-part building was constructed close to the slope. The rooms, accessible via a loggia landing, have room-high glass fronts and protruding balconies facing towards the south. Finally, a curved shell roof gives the glass, steel and exposed concrete hotel building a dynamic look.

An extension has been built onto the Skiing Academy formerly known as the Federal Sports Home. The new building has six levels, all part of a ski training centre – from a seminar hall at sub-basement level to a sauna and wellness area on the roof. The independent large form of the crystalline shaped building attempts to meet the requirements of its location without matching the traditional alpine type of design too much.

In the centre of St. Christoph, the ÖSV (Austrian Skiing Association) built a sports hall (for the 2001 World Skiing Championships) with a fitness centre, a bar and offices for the association’s staff. A low budget solution based on minimalism was realised within a short time. The "self-confident” building is situated close to the ensemble around the "Hospiz”, which dates as far back as the Middle Ages.