graft wins lofer mountain resort competition near salzburg

graft wins lofer mountain resort competition near salzburg
all images courtesy of graft

graft architects have won the competition to design the first ‘premium common good resort’ in lofer near salzburg, austria. situated high in the alps, the building will be part of the strong cultural landscape and its deep-rooted local identity. the brief required a sensitive response to this existing context, a design that successfully merges the structure into its surroundings, while keeping a balance between both old and new elements. the entire construction includes a hotel complex, a staff building, workshop, cafe villa and a premium residential area. influenced by local timber constructions, the design aesthetic is reminiscent of traditional larch facades.

‘the new buildings will fit into the site and surrounding landscape, making a strong and innovative statement at the same time. historical facades and building structures were preserved and integrated into the cutting-edge architecture.’ says graft.

the design aesthetic was influenced by local timber constructions and is reminiscent of traditional larch facades

the overall master plan has each building responding to its unique genius loci and the transformation of traditional gabled roofs offers a new sense of scale to the village. the resort is based on a high level of environmental sustainability – in collaboration with international engineering firm buro happold a ‘lean mean green’ strategy is envisioned. energy and water consumption for the buildings is minimized, modern technologies applied and renewable energy sources feature throughout.

the proposal successfully merges into its surroundings, maintaining a balance between both old and new elements