The project Oberholz is the result of a winning competition entry for a sheltered mountain hut on 2.000m in the heart of the Dolomites. The location is well known as a ski resort in Winter and hiking path in summer. The hut contains a restaurant and is located next to the cable station Oberholz in Obereggen with a direct connection to the ski slope.
The cantilevering structure grows out of the hill like a fallen tree with three main branches creating a symbiosis with the landscape. Each of them is facing the three most important surrounding mountains. At the end of the branches, a large glass facade frames the surrounding mountains from the interior of the hut. The sloped roof shape of the glasses takes his inspiration from typical huts in the area, while the branching roof and complex structural interior express a new and contemporary interpretation of the classic mountain hut. The interior is defined by a complex, curvilinear, and visible wood structure that gradually fades into walls and creates so-called “pockets” that create a certain intimacy. The pockets are connected to an open space and conceived as a reinterpretation of the classic “Stube”, a well known small wooden space rooted in the culture of South Tyrol. The entire hut is constructed with wood: structural elements and interior in spruce, the facade in larch, furniture in oak- all typical woods from the area. A homogenous sculpture with local materials.
