Chalet 7

Bad Gastein, Austria

Photo © Ulrich Schwarz

Single Houses

Architects: KUEHN MALVEZZI

Location: Bad Gastein, Austria
Year: 2012
Client: BVV Immobilien und Beteiligungen GmbH

Constructed on a steep and narrow site in the higher reaches of the Alps, the villa was built as an appendix to a hotel complex located further down the slope. Attention is drawn to this solitary form by its clear edges, while the darkened reinforced concrete facade, constructed without protrusions or recesses, fuses it with the alpine setting in the summer. In contrast to the strict outer appearance the rooms inside are not bound to a fixed structural level. The elaborate spatial differentiation allows for helically complex spaces, where the altitude of each level shifts one meter higher in an anti-clockwise direction. According to their function the rooms vary in horizontal dimensions, as well as in height. This ensures not only a maximum of living space but also a harmonious formation of rooms. The large window openings and the low parapets help to dissolve the limiting frame of out and inside, allowing one to become immersed in the panoramic views of the area.