Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region on the example of the W2 Manufaktur studio

Bogna Krynicka

doi:10.37190/arc210312

Abstract

This paper aims to show the influence of traditional, historical rural architecture on the contemporary architecture of the Alpine region in Austria. The subject of consideration are the latest projects and realisations of theW2 Manufaktur design and construction studio based in Leogang – one of the most famous ski resorts of the Salzburg region. W2 Manufaktur was founded by Alfred Waltl, an experienced designer, whereas this paper has been authored by one of the architects who lead projects in the construction/reconstruction/extension of hotel complexes. The article presents the design paradigms adopted by the studio’s architects such as respect for the landscape and the local tradition in construction, a kind of “synthesis of arts” combining architecture, art (design), advanced technologies, and sometimes greenery shaping. The text mainly relies on my design experience and studies of old Alpine architecture.

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2021

3(67)

DOI: 10.37190/arc210312

Bogna Krynicka*

Between tradition and modernity

– a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region

on the example of the W2 Manufaktur studio

Introduction

Austria is perceived as a heavily traditional country.

This is manifested in almost all areas of life. Starting with

cuisine preferring regional dishes, through clothing items

such as the famous Lederhosen and Drindl still worn today

for family celebrations, church and national holidays, to

the cultivation of folk customs such as the rather contro-

versial Krampuslauf

preceding the arrival of Santa Claus

in December. Architecture is no exception here, and archi-

tects usually follow the trend of fascination with tradition

and, consequently, regionalism. This trend manifests itself

particularly strongly in the architecture of the Alpine area

(the so-called Alpenraum)

where, historically, timber

construction with stone elements predominated. Austria’s

cultural landscape has been […] dened, as Otto Svoboda

wrote, by wooden architecture for centuries. Even though

since the Middle Ages stone and brick began to gradually

replace wood as a building material, in the countryside

people rmly continued building traditionally and almost

every household keeps cherishing wooden construction

* W2 Manufaktur, 5771 Leogang 62, Austria, e-mail: cad9@w2

manufaktur.com

A parade organized on the day of the winter solstice and mark-

ing the arrival of Krampus, half goat, half demon – a character from

Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore who was supposed to arrive before

St. Nicholas and punish disobedient children.

In this paper, the Alpine area is restricted to the Salzburg district,

and especially to one part of it, namely Pinzgau.

Jahrhundertlang bestimmte die Holzarchitektur die Kulturland-

schaft Österreichs. Obwohl auch seit dem Mittelalter Stein und Ziegel

Obviously, respect for tradition is not manifested exclu-

sively in the use of wood as the basic construction materi-

al. It also manifests itself in the rather loose “copying” of

old country houses (Bauerhaus) or auxiliary farm build-

ings such as barns (Scheune) and granaries (Troadkasten,

Getreidespeicher). It is not about a reliable, research-based

reconstruction of these buildings, but about treating them

as a base for reinterpretation. The historical wooden ar-

chitecture of the alpine area serves as a reference for the

designs by many Austrian architectural studios

This paper discusses the activities of the W2 Manufak-

tur design and construction studio, which specialises in

designing wooden structures used both in traditional and

non-standard ways and tries to translate elements taken

from the local architectural tradition into the language

of contemporary architecture. The studio specialises in

hotel projects with an extensive SPA zone, realised in al-

pine ski resorts. W2 Manufaktur was founded in 2011 by

Alfred Waltl, an experienced architect, who tries to com-

bine, as he puts it himself, “craft, art and lifestyle” in his

work [4, p. 44]. It is an award-winning studio, the winner

of prizes awarded by hotel industry organisations. Apart

from the owner, the designer team also includes the author

of this paper.

das Holz als Bausto allmählich zu verdrängen begannen, baute man

auf dem Lande unbeirrt in der altüberlieferten und fast jedem Bauern

gehaugen Holzbauweise weiter [1, p. 5].

It is noteworthy that the tradition of drawing patterns from Alpine

architecture has a long history and references to Alpine construction can

be found, among others, in pre-war Sudeten hostels [2], [3].

Design philosophy

128 Bogna Krynicka

with shingles (Fig. 1b). Casement windows protected by

wooden shutters were used and the decorative elements

included small balconies with carved balustrades, wooden

beams providing some horizontal accents to the attic to-

gether with carved windchests and purlins. In farmhouses,

horizontal attic beams were once used to dry corn, while

windchests and purlin protected the wooden structure

from the destructive eects of the wind. The traditional

building silhouette was complemented with large glazed

gables with a characteristic detail; the so-called window

in the window, which is a kind of trademark of the W2

Manufaktur studio (Fig. 2a). The interior design matches

the outdoor architecture well with the dominant element

in each house being a large replace-stove with a mantel-

piece. The doors to the rooms are made of wood just like

the doors to the stables, there are wooden oors and walls

made of pine logs, and the ceilings have structural beams

Priesteregg

One of the most famous realisations of the W2 Manu-

faktur studio, in which a direct reference was made to the

traditional forms of a regional country house, is the hol-

iday complex belonging to a larger establishment known

under the name of Priesteregg [5]. This summer resort was

built in Leogang, at 1100 metres above sea level, on the

edge of the forest and in its centre it features the so-called

Huwis’alm, a typical wooden hut erected on the mountain

pastures and used during the cattle and sheep grazing sea-

son. The historical hut was extended and a mountain “vil-

lage” (Bergdorf) consisting of 16 wooden holiday houses

with areas ranging from 100 to 250 m

was built in its

close vicinity (Fig. 1a).

The buildings were designed as one-storey wooden huts

with a habitable attic arranged under a gable roof covered

a b

Fig. 1. Leogang, Priesteregg, Mountain village, designed by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. Alfred Waltl,

a) bird’s eye view of the whole complex, b) view from the south (source: priesteregg.at)

Il. 1. Leogang, Priesteregg, Górska wioska, projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. Alfred Waltl, widoki:

a) całego zespołu z lotu ptaka, b) widok od strony południowej (źródło: priesteregg.at)

Fig. 2. Leogang, Priesteregg, Mountain village (Bergdorf), designed by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. Alfred Waltl:

a) view of one of the buildings in the complex; first floor – a window in the glazing,

b) house interior with a bathing area (source: priesteregg.at)

Il. 2. Leogang, Priesteregg, Górska wioska (Bergdorf), projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. Alfred Waltl:

a) widok jednego z budynków zespołu, na piętrze – okno zamontowane w przeszkleniu,

b) wnętrze domu ze strefą kąpielową (źródło: priesteregg.at)

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region 129

exposed. A ladder staircase provides access to the rst

oor. This somewhat “folklore museum” look gets dis-

rupted with bathing equipment – a free-standing bathtub

placed in the bedroom (Fig. 2b) and a fully glazed shower,

from which the mountain panorama can be admired dur-

ing the morning toilet. Each bungalow is equipped with

a sauna and an outdoor jacuzzi in the form of a bathing tub.

The layout of the summer resort itself does not deviate

from the accepted convention and refers to the image of an

ideal 18

-century village from the bucolic tradition on the

one hand, and to research on settlement traditions in Tyrol

on the other hand. In Priesteregg, the houses are freely ar-

ranged around a quasi-village green with a stone-marbled

pond, wooden wells, stone benches and paths surround-

ed by vegetation – herbs, grass and owers found both in

country gardens and growing wild in the mountain pas-

tures. In winter a snow cover and “X-mas” lighting com-

plement this idyllic picture.

Since the “village” has been a huge marketing success

and contributed to the great popularity of Huwis’alm, pre-

viously known only to the local community, its owners

have decided to complement the complex with an expand-

ed wellness area with a large swimming pool seemingly

jumping out of the hill, as well as a new “eco-village” also

equipped with a separate, slightly smaller swimming pool

(commissioned in December 2019). Designed as a whole,

the new buildings exemplify, on the one hand, a reference

to traditional rural architecture and, on the other, they in-

troduce new design values.

The wellness building, housing saunas and massage

rooms, has been given a form reminiscent of old granaries

(Fig. 3a, b), thanks to which it became dominant in the

horizontal layout of the establishment (Fig. 3c). On the

contrary, the “eco-village” was designed as a wavy form,

reminiscent of the fantastic Hobbit house. As in other W2

Manufaktur projects, the historical granary model was

interpreted quite freely with an introduction of another,

alien function that required an appropriate modication

of the projection. However, eorts were made to maintain

the traditional projection proportions based on a square, as

well as the proportions of the body of the building itself,

which was realized as a two-storey building with a habi-

table attic.

A stone pillar, typical for Alpine granaries (mostly

a larch pillar) ending in a at stone in the form of a mush-

room, which traditionally served as protection against ro-

dents trying to get at the grain stored on the upper storey,

was used as a decorative element of the saunarium. The

openwork wall structure, designed for better ventilation of

the granary interior, was replaced by two-storey glazing

with a window-in-window motif, which was juxtaposed

with horizontal formwork made of so-called Altholz (re-

claimed wood) in the rst oor and the attic. On the ground

oor, the façade was made of horizontal and vertical form-

work and stone in the immediate vicinity of the pool sluice.

An innovatively swimming pool, designed in the form

of a footbridge, supported on an 8-metre high pillar is

a sign of modernity in the design of the buildings com-

plementing the summer resort (Fig. 4a). Appropriately

shaped edges of the pool basin have been “hidden” so that

the guests using have the impression of swimming in the

air (Fig. 4b). Thanks to the sluice located in the wellness

building the pool can be used all year round.

The “eco-village” adjacent to and providing some counter -

balance to the spa building presents another design is-

sue. “Eco-village” took an organic shape (Fig. 5a) and to

strengthen the impression of it being connected with na-

ture, it was immersed in the hill and covered with a green

roof blending smoothly into the greenery of the meadows

(Fig. 5b). The completely glazed façades, reecting the

surrounding landscape, further enhance the impression of

the building being inscribed in the landscape. Initially, the

villa was intended to stand in opposition to the regional

architecture to contrast with the strongly traditional well-

ness building. However, in the design process, we did add

some elements referring to Alpine architecture, such as

balcony balustrades resembling farmstead fence, wood-

en windows with fanlights, and nishing the sot with

boarding. Please note that almost exclusively local mate-

rials were used for construction, including larch, spruce

and pine (from Alpine pine) timber.

Multiple references to tradition clearly visible in the

architecture of the Priesteregg complex buildings with

simultaneous use of modern technologies is far from ac-

cidental and was consciously and consistently implement-

ed by the investors. Already at the preliminary design

stage did the holiday resort owners had a clear idea of

what the buildings should look like and what ideas they

should convey. The investors’ priority was to “reect in

the architecture of a mountain village” their “respect for

the environment and nature”

, and therefore they strove to

make buildings that would blend into the landscape and at

the same time reinterpret the “authentic country houses”.

Please note that all of the housing units are almost neutral

concerning CO

emissions.

Forsthofgut, extension

The latest W2 Manufaktur’s project, still unrealised, of

stables for 12 horses and a riding school also refers to old

rural architecture. The buildings complement the Forst-

hofgut hotel complex located in the Alpine resort of Leo-

gang. The designed stable was modelled on the so-called

Pinzgauer Stall-Scheune, still encountered in the Salzburg

region in the 1960s (Fig. 6a, b) [8, p. 51].

Design heritage of the historical buildings includes a rec-

tangular projection of the stables with horsebox dimensions

adapted, entrances placed in the gable walls (Fig. 7a), as

well as an open gallery on the rst oor, 80 cm wide, sup-

ported on pillars, which provide support for wooden bales

once used for drying hay. Although hay storage, also made

of wood, was located on the rst oor of the building, the

design did not feature an openwork construction made from

round logs which were intended to provide adequate venti-

lation and lighting to the rooms, which were generally win-

dowless [7, p. 53]. Apart from the ventilation system used,

Unseren Respekt vor Umfeld, Umwelt und Natur lassen wir aus-

serdem in unsere Bergdorf Architektur einiessen [6].

130 Bogna Krynicka

some additional ventilation should be provided by open-

ings in the shape of horse heads, which according to Ger-

manic tradition protect against bad weather and diseases

In traditional construction, this motif was mainly used to nish

wind braces [7, p. 54].

In this case, the link to rural architecture was intended

to emphasise the utilitarian purpose of the building, the

wooden structure counterbalancing the large glazing and

mitigating the undesirable impression of coolness and ste-

rility (Fig. 7b). The manège was designed in opposition

to the traditionally stable solution with construction from

wooden frames of dierent heights and shifted

apexes

Fig. 3. Historical farm buildings with wooden structure: a) two-storey granary in Krakauhintermühlen (Styria, Austria),

b) pile granary in Lehn (Ötztal-Tyrol, Austria), c) Leogang, Priesteregg, wellness area, view from the swimming pool, design and construction

management by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka (source: priesteregg.at)

Il. 3. Historyczne budynki gospodarcze o konstrukcji drewnianej: a) dwukondygnacyjny spichlerz z Krakauhintermühlen (Styria, Austria),

b) spichlerz palowy w Lehn (Ötztal-Tyrol, Austria), c) Leogang, Priesteregg, strefa wellness, widok od strony basenu kąpielowego,

projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka (źródło: priesteregg.at)

a b

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region 131

Fig. 4. Leogang, Priesteregg, wellness area:

a, b) views of the main swimming pool, designed by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl

(source: priesteregg.at)

Il. 4. Leogang, Priesteregg, strefa wellness,

a, b) widoki głównego basenu kąpielowego, projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl

(źródło: priesteregg.at)

Fig. 5. Leogang, Priesteregg, “Eco-village”, design and construction management by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) façade sketch (drawing by B. Krynicka),

b) view from the front, in the background – the main pool of the wellness zone (source: priesteregg.at)

Il. 5. Leogang, Priesteregg, „Eco-willa”, projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) szkic elewacji frontowej (rys. B. Krynicka),

b) widok od strony frontowej, na drugim planie – główny basen strefy wellness (źródło: priesteregg.at)

a b

thanks to which the roong looks like a wave moving

away towards the horizon (Fig. 8a, b).

Traditional Alpine construction is largely a response

to dicult terrain and weather conditions. Hence stone

foundations or plinths are commonly used in the build-

ings to insulate the wooden walls from wet ground. The

houses are covered with pitched roofs with a slope of 17

to 25 degrees, which work best for heavy snowfalls often

occurring there as early as October and persisting until the

end of May. The building oor plans also feature some

peculiar solutions giving them rectangular forms that de-

scend stepwise as the relief does. These characteristics of

traditional architecture can be found in another design by

W2 Manufaktur, the Senhoog hotel complex, also located

in the Alpine village of Leogang, not far from the summer

resort of Priesteregg.

Senhoog

The hotel complex design was entirely determined by the

shape of the plot and its steep slopes in both the north-south

and east-west directions, as well as by the investor’s re-

quirements for a very extensive functional programme. As

a result, a complex of ve residential units emerged, four of

which adjusted to the terrain slope stepwise and positioned

their gable walls facing the street, while the fth one was

turned 90 degrees with respect to the other units with the

front façade facing the access road. Functionally all the resi-

dential units form two separate hotel facilities sharing a wall

(layout of the two-family house, Fig. 9a). As the investor

wished for each of them to have a separate wellness zone

with a sauna, two or three bedrooms with dressing rooms,

bathrooms and free-standing bathtubs, a large living room

132 Bogna Krynicka

with replace, lounge area, dining room and open kitch-

en, as well as technical rooms for heating and swimming

pool, beverage and food storage, the four-storey buildings

were oset by half a oor one with respect to another (Fig.

9b). The shift allowed to adjust the individual buildings

to the terrain slope so that on the side of the access road

their height ranges from one storey with a habitable attic

to three (Fig. 9c), and spotwise, four storeys on the side of

the valley. This procedure, very popular in design, provided

a completely dierent character to the hotel elevations.

Fig. 7. Leogang, conceptual design of stables for the Hotel Forsthofgut, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) perspective view, b) south-east façade (drawing by B. Krynicka)

Il. 7. Leogang, projekt koncepcyjny stajni dla hotelu Forsthofgut, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) widok perspektywiczny,

b) elewacja południowo-wschodnia

(rys. B. Krynicka)

a b

Fig. 6. Examples of stable buildings in:

a) Harmannsdorf bei Hochneukirchen (Lower Austria) with characteristic balcony in the gable part and outdoor stairs leading to it,

b) Aisdorf (Land Salzburg), a building dating from 1594, the so-called Trockenstange for drying corn visible in the first floor (source: [7, pp. 48, 53])

Il. 6. Przykładowe budynki stajni w: a) Harmannsdorf bei Hochneukirchen (Niederösterreich) z charakterystycznym balkonikiem

w części szczytowej i prowadzącymi do niego schodami zewnętrznymi,

b) Aisdorf (Land Salzburg), budynek datowany na 1594 r., na piętrze tzw. Trockenstange do suszenia kukurydzy (źródło: [7, s. 48, 53])

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region 133

The entrance façade, the northern one, was maintained

in the cottage convention and received a plastered “plinth”

ground oor, an attic made of round logs, a gable roof with

a pitch of 25 degrees covered with shingles, casement win-

dows with shutters, carved windbraces and proled purlin

mouldings, and a balcony with a carved balustrade sup-

ported only on two beams so that the oor could bend when

walking in a manner characteristic of old houses (Fig. 10a).

The south façade, which opens onto the valley, has been

almost entirely glazed to allow visitors to contemplate the

panorama of the mountains (Fig. 10b). To avoid limiting

the view, the balustrades of the balloons were made of glass

a b

Fig. 9. Leogang, Senhoog hotel complex, design and construction management by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) east view (source: W2 Manufaktur), b, c) cross-section and southern façade (drawing by B. Krynicka)

Il. 9. Leogang, kompleks hotelowy Senhoog, projekt i prowadzenie budowy W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) widok od strony wschodniej (źródło: W2 Manufaktur), b, c) przekrój i elewacja południowa (rys. B. Krynicka)

Fig. 8. Leogang, conceptual design of manège for the Hotel Forsthofgut, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) perspective view (drawing by B. Krynicka), b) eastern façade (elaborated by P. Fritzenwanker)

Il. 8. Leogang, projekt koncepcyjny ujeżdżalni dla hotelu Forsthofgut, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, B. Krynicka:

a) widok perspektywiczny (rys. B. Krynicka), b) elewacja wschodnia (oprac. P. Fritzenwanker)

134 Bogna Krynicka

panes. Specially designed wooden structures, modelled on

the ladders used for drying hay, were used to hang ower

boxes. This apparent duality of forms did not prevent the

creation of a coherent design that merges well with both

the traditional and modern architectural trends.

Oberalpendorf 70

The latest work of the studio is a competition concept

for a hotel complex in the Salzburg ski resort of Alpen-

dorf. Even in a competition design, where requirements

for architectural forms were left undened, it was dicult

to leave behind the solutions taken from the local build-

ing tradition. Finally, the planned hotel complex was given

organic forms already used in the “Eco-villa” concept by

the Priesteregg team. The four-storey hotel building was

designed on an irregular plan adapted to the relief, and the

body of the building reected the course of the contours,

thanks to which the building gives the impression of being

a natural fragment of a slope (Fig. 11a). The hotel houses

eight residential units of over 200 m

that have been placed

in the hotel with their compositional core consisting of

open living rooms combined with green terraces (Fig. 11b).

Each terrace features a jacuzzi and swimming pools,

which are located in the line of the view openings. The

softened canopy edges on the successive storeys make it

possible to regulate the amount of daylight on the terraces

and to invite nature into the buildings. This is achieved

using large glazed walls facing the open space and the

mountain panorama, glazed balustrades that do not pose

any obstacle to the viewer, and terrace gardens that allow

direct contact with the greenery without having to leave

the building. There is a two-storey restaurant in the south-

ern part of the hotel, separated on the ground oor by an

entrance area from the residential units. The restaurant

is also accessible directly from the ski slope. The hotel’s

concept falls within the design trend whose main idea

[…] is based on an awareness of an untouched landscape,

nearly sacred nature

Leogang, Stille Wasser am Asitz

A slightly dierent approach to the surrounding na-

ture is exemplied by the design of the Mountain Chap-

el located at the intermediate station of the Asitz ski lift.

Die Ideologie – man kann sie ruhig als solche Bezeichnen – die-

ser architektonischen Metode, fusst auf dem Bewusstsein einer unbe-

rührten Landschaft, einer fast heiligen Natur [7, p. 20].

Fig. 10. Leogang, Senhoog hotel

complex, design and construction

management by W2 Manufaktur,

Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka;

façades: a) north, b) south

(source: W2 Manufaktur)

Il. 10. Leogang, kompleks

hotelowy Senhoog, projekt

i prowadzenie budowy W2

Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl,

arch. B. Krynicka; elewacje:

a) północna, b) południowa

(źródło: W2 Manufaktur)

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region 135

Fig. 11. Alpendorf, competition design of the Oberalpendorf 70 hotel complex, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka, arch. S. Waltl:

a) visualisation of the body of the building (drawing by S. Waltl), b) projection of the second floor (drawing by S. Waltl)

Il. 11. Alpendorf, projekt konkursowy kompleksu hotelowego Oberalpendorf 70, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka, arch. S. Waltl:

a) wizualizacja bryły budynku (rys. S. Waltl), b) rzut drugiej kondygnacji (rys. S. Waltl)

This chapel, which is part of the so-called “Stille Wasser”

establishment, together with an articial pond and other

small architecture elements in the vicinity, does not t in

with the surrounding landscape on purpose. Its dynamic

openwork wooden structure pointing to the sky is meant

to attract attention and direct the visitor’s thoughts to

a more metaphysical dimension. Although the building

refers to the tradition of mountain chapels which due to

its skeletal form it is perceived more like a sculpture than

a religious object (Fig. 12b, c). Its “multi-religious” char-

acter, required by the investor, is emphasised by the stone

sphere placed in the centre of the facility, which replaced

the original baptismal font (Fig. 12a).

Near the aforementioned “Stille Wasser”, a complex

of ve small architectural forms, the so-called TONspur

Insel, was built on the very top of the Asitz. The facilities

designed in the form of forest huts allow listening to music

while contemplating the surrounding landscape (Fig. 13a).

TONspuren are summer concerts presenting dierent music gen-

res, held annually on the Asitz summit, on a specially stage.

136 Bogna Krynicka

Fig. 12. Leogang, mid station of the Asitz ski lift, Mountain chapel, project W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) layout (drawing by B. Krynicka), b) perspective view (drawing by B. Krynicka), c) realisation 2019 (source: W2 Manufaktur)

Il. 12. Leogang, stacja pośrednia wyciągu narciarskiego Asitz, Kapliczka górska, projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) rzut (rys. B. Krynicka), b) widok perspektywiczny (rys. B. Krynicka), c) realizacja 2019 (źródło: W2 Manufaktur)

Fig. 13. Leogang, Asitz summit, TONspur-Insel, designed by W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) perspective view (drawing by B. Krynicka), b) seat for listening to music (photo by Leoganger Bergbahnen)

Il. 13. Leogang, szczyt Asitz, TONspur-Insel, projekt W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) widok perspektywiczny (rys. B. Krynicka), b) siedzisko do słuchania muzyki (fot. Leoganger Bergbahnen)

a b

b c

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region 137

For this purpose, they have been tted with modern equip-

ment for listening to music and with comfortable, ergo-

nomically-shaped seats mounted on rails so that they can

be pulled outdoors in good weather (Fig. 13b). During the

design phase, the shape of the units evolved from avant-

garde capsules, through shapes resembling sails, to nally

take the very modest and simple form of a wooden forest

hut, which makes it also possible to use these facilities also

in winter (easy removal of snow, both from the ground

and the roof, high resistance to wind and snowfall).

The tness for purpose of these hut forms is proven

with the award (Maecenatentum-Preis) granted to their

investor for the promotion of artistic projects [9].

Summary

The examples analysed here show the enormous inu-

ence of traditional construction on contemporary Alpine

architecture. Wall and roof forms developed in the past,

traditional building materials are widely used. Even struc-

tural and decorative elements are copied. The historically

conditioned attention to the proper relationship between

nature and the developed space has also been revisited.

In the Alpine region, […] merging into the landscape,

blending in without disturbing the natural topography

has become a design paradigm. In W2 Manufaktur, the

awareness of the environmental value was translated into

an attempt to create a design method using almost exclu-

sively wooden structures, making building walls from ma-

terials “found on-site” [3, p. 20], and the positioning of

window openings results from open views. In many con-

cepts, the body of the designed houses is adapted to the

contour lines, greenery is introduced into the inter iors,

Eingepasst in die Landschaft, eingefügt ins Gelände, ohne Stö-

rung der natürlichen Topograe [8, p. 20].

and the aim is to create buildings subordinated to na-

ture, where architecture is perceived mainly in terms of

craftsmanship. The studio’s work corresponds well to the

trend of “integration into the landscape” popular in the

Alpine countries (“Landschaftsgebundenheit”), in which

“the house is perceived as part of nature” [3, p. 20]. The

attitude of investors, who expect from designers a devel-

opment concept that is not only in line with the trend for

broadly understood ecology but also with people’s sub-

liminal desires, was also not without signicance for the

design formula. Already Lois Welzenbacher (1889–1955),

one of the most important Austrian architects of the in-

ter-war period, stressed the need for contact with nature

in the context of architectural design. He stated that […]

modern man wants the need to communicate with and

experience nature to be expressed in his house. Nature

is not a dummy around the house, but the house itself

– a sun-breathing organism, changing throughout the day,

relaxed when it comes to layout divisions, with extensive

views of the landscape, elevated to the role of a mirror of

external beauty

The presented realisations of the W2 Manufakur studio

show a contemporary approach to design based on the tra-

dition of regional construction. In addition to the charac-

teristic forms of Alpine architecture, the studio’s design is

distinguished by the extensive use of wood as a construc-

tion material. The studio’s portfolio includes non-standard

projects such as the timber-framed superstructure of the

Salzburger Hof hotel in Leogang, with a wellness complex

Naturbedürfnis und Naturgefühl will der moderne Mensch in

seinem Wohnen ausgedrückt wissen. Die Natur, nicht als Attrappe um

das Haus herum, sondern das Haus selbst als Sonne atmender Orga-

nismus (!), mit seinen Organem den Tageszeiten zugewandt, gelockert

in den Gliederungen des Grundrisses, mit grossen Aussblicken auf die

Landschaft, ein gleichsam zum Wesen erhobener Schnittpunkt all des

Schönen aussen… (after: [8, p. 23]).

Fig. 14. Leogang, Salzburger Hof hotel, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) expansion visualization, b) wellness zone during the realization phase (source: W2 Manufaktur)

Il. 14. Leogang, hotel Salzburger Hof, W2 Manufaktur, Bmstr. A. Waltl, arch. B. Krynicka:

a) wizualizacja rozbudowy, b) strefa wellness w czasie realizacji (źródło: W2 Manufaktur)

a b

138 Bogna Krynicka

Abstract

Between tradition and modernity – a study of contemporary architecture in the Austrian alpine region

on the example of the W2 Manufaktur studio

This paper aims to show the inuence of traditional, historical rural architecture on the contemporary architecture of the Alpine region in Austria.

The subject of consideration are the latest projects and realisations of theW2 Manufaktur design and construction studio based in Leogang – one of

the most famous ski resorts of the Salzburg region. W2 Manufaktur was founded by Alfred Waltl, an experienced designer, whereas this paper has

been authored by one of the architects who lead projects in the construction/reconstruction/extension of hotel complexes. The article presents the

design paradigms adopted by the studio’s architects such as respect for the landscape and the local tradition in construction, a kind of “synthesis of

arts” combining architecture, art (design), advanced technologies, and sometimes greenery shaping. The text mainly relies on my design experience

and studies of old Alpine architecture.

Key words: contemporary architecture, alpine architecture, wooden building, W2 Manufaktur

Streszczenie

Między tradycją a nowoczesnością – studium współczesnej architektury regionu alpejskiego w Austrii

na przykładzie realizacji pracowni W2 Manufaktur

Tematem artykułu jest ukazanie wpływu tradycyjnego, historycznego budownictwa wiejskiego na współczesną architekturę regionu alpejskiego

w Austrii. Przedmiotem rozważań są najnowsze projekty i realizacje pracowni projektowo-wykonawczej W2 Manufaktur z siedzibą w Leogang

– miejscowości będącej jednym z najbardziej znanych kurortów narciarskich rejonu salzburskiego. W2 Manufaktur została założona przez doświad-

czonego projektanta Alfreda Waltla, a autorka artykułu jest jedną z architektek prowadzących projekty dotyczące głównie budowy/przebudowy/

rozbudowy kompleksów hotelowych. W artykule zostały przedstawione paradygmaty projektowania przyjęte przez architektów biura, wśród których

należy wymienić szacunek dla krajobrazu i lokalnej tradycji budowania oraz swoistą „syntezę sztuk” łącząca architekturę, sztukę (design), zaawanso-

wane technologie, a niekiedy też – kształtowanie zieleni. Tekst oparto w głównej mierze na doświadczeniach projektowych autorki i studiach dawnej

architektury alpejskiej.

Słowa kluczowe: architektura współczesna, architektura alpejska, budownictwo drewniane, W2 Manufaktur

References

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with an open, full-size swimming pool built on two oors

(Fig. 14a, b). To relieve the load on the wooden structure,

the pool was supported on steel pillars, on which a cubicle

containing the pool’s technical room was also suspended.

Reference to tradition and the use of regional architec-

ture elements in new buildings’ designs is not only the

result of attachment to the history and culture of the Al-

pine region but also relates to the need of the moment,

the eco-fashion, a return to nature, and – last but not least

– the requirements of investors. What is popular in the

Alpine region are buildings rooted in the local tradition,

freely referring to traditional solutions and enriched with

elements typical of modern architecture, and at the same

time oering the so-called alpine eur – a special feeling

of slowness and unlimited contact with nature.

Translated by

Junique Justin Nnorom