yellow diamond windows pierce angular concrete staff house by bergmeisterwolf in italy

incised staff house by bergmeisterwolf anchors italian valley

Bergmeisterwolf inserts Incised, a project that accommodates employees of the nearby hotel, into a narrow Alpine valley shaped by the highway, train tracks, state road, and nearby river in Franzensfeste, Italy. The concrete volume aligns itself parallel to the road, forming a sloping edge that establishes presence within what is described as ‘a place without a place.’

The site is shaped by constant movement and tight spatial limits. The team responds with an elongated concrete body that traces the line of the state road, its pitched roof carving a distinct silhouette against the steep terrain. Diamond-shaped windows puncture the monolithic shell, their deep yellow frames projecting outward like controlled incisions in the grey mass. The yellow recalls traffic lights and mobility, echoing the infrastructural surroundings, while red elements build a bridge to the history of the adjacent hotel. 

osb-lined interior creates protective shell

The architects at Bergmeisterwolf split the volume into two parts to play with the tightness of the site, introducing rhythm and proportion. Through this articulation, they allow the building to negotiate its limited footprint and preserve a strong form. An oversized gutter system sculpturally channels rainwater into a basin, engaging the project further with the slope of the site, rainfall, and the river nearby. 

A continuous shell of OSB panels inside, painted in gradients of green, blue, and grey, encloses the living spaces, introducing warmth and texture against the raw concrete exterior. Pops of the same yellow used on the facade reappear indoors, highlighting selected furniture details. The interior shell defines a spatial envelope that both protects and invigorates, resulting in a layered construction that is steadfast and protective on the outside and warm and secure within. In this way, the staff house transforms its infrastructural condition into a controlled domestic environment.

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project info:

name: Incised Staff House Sachsenklemme

architect: Bergmeisterwolf | @bergmeisterwolf

location: Sachsenklemme, Italy

photographer: Gustav Willeit | @sangu