The method of agricultural grafting was probably the inspiration behind the project by the studio noa* – network of architecture for the new Apfelhotel Torgglerhof, at the start of Val Passiria in Alto Adige. With an eye on the roots of the place, long a major center for apple farming. Incorporating new portions in an existing structure, the process has been like the method of grafting two different plants together.
Completed in several phases, the hotel on an area of 2890 square meters is literally inserted amidst hills, valleys and trails, applying the same architectural language seen in the surroundings to offer a refuge of beauty and relaxation.
The work began with an old barn next to the main building and the restaurant; the barn has been completely gutted and converted to contain a workshop for the making of gastronomic delights with apples, on the lower level, and guestrooms on the upper floor.
Eighteen new suites have been added, perfectly inserted in the structure through careful continuation of proportions and rural styling. The warm, welcoming atmosphere is the result of the Undici wood facings, on the walls and floor, an evocative experiment based on collaboration between Listone Giordano and Inkiostro Bianco, a producer of crafted wallcoverings. The surface has been engraved with a laser technique, with indelible carvings, hollows that enter the material to give rise to a new essence. The decorated wood gives the rooms unique charm and a sense of tradition mixed with modernity.
The spaces for wellness and relaxation are also skillfully blended with the landscape: first the apple sauna, and then the wellness area, the Brunnenhaus, a sort of ‘green heart’ because it is hidden under the hill, visible only through the semi-curved shell in concrete, underscored by a portal in antique wood. Even the façade in glass and steel seems to dissolve behind a green filter, from which it is nevertheless possible to enjoy the peaceful landscape, for a regenerating stay that draws energy from the roots of the site.
Hotel operator: Apfelhotel
Architecture and Interior design: noa* – network of architecture
Photo credits: Alex Filz
