HAUS DER BERGE
In 2009, the Dolomites mountain massif becomes UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. In 2016, the municipality, together with the Tourist Association of the northern Italian village of Sexten, launched an international competition for a visitor center named „Haus der Berge“.
The five-storey tower-like building intends to raise awareness for the existing: The distinctive landscape, its ecosystem and inhabitants.
Immediately local available wood (larch and spruce, 220m³) is from the community's own forests. It forms the untreated plastic, glue and metal-free solid-timber structure and furnishing of the building. The introverted envelope opens up decisively towards the different types of landscape. The heart of the building, a two-storey multi-purpose hall, was added to the spatial program of the competition, creating intersection between local activities and touristic use. Part of the project is the outdoor space that leads through the local mountain flora and connects the Haus der Berge with the communal fairground and music pavilion (not built yet).
