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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.