architek[tour] tirol – guide to architecture in tyrol

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.