Jižní Tyrolsko stojí za vidění

In a building in the old town on the biggest shopping street in Brunico/Bruneck, a glass right angle opens up allowing a view into the wide yet long, tube-like room which stirs you to enter the room. Apart from the floor, laid with square black slabs, the rest of the interior is completely white. Bright light and the back-lit walls made of white frosted glass make the small windowless room seem far larger and lighter than it actually is. The white furnishings including the counter and shelves seem inferior to the colorful things on offer here: in the front section of the shop Andreas Acherer's patisseries are on sale. These products have won awards many times in the Gambero Rosso guide. In the back section, separated for hygienic reasons, are artistic flower arrangements by Barbara Strondl.

Even from far away, the bright white abbey perched on a hill above Burgeis catches the eye. Founded in 1000, it has been one of South Tyrol’s most important spiritual centers since the twelfth century. “Ora et labora” is the Benedictine motto and also the name of the museum housed within the former farm buildings. The old walls were cleaned and stabilized to this end, left largely in their original state and expanded by a second level of modern interior design. While the walls remained rough and  unplastered, new mountings of glass and dark steel were placed in front of them and at a distance − so that the changes between the late thirteenth century and today are easy to deduce. The artworks and exhibits shed light on the monastery’s development. Upstairs, guest areas and seminar spaces have been created as well.

Together with the pre-existing buildings, summit station of the cable car and pizza pavilion, the new mountain restaurant forms a courtyard situation sheltered from the wind in the very exposed, protected landscape site.  The new building, however, crouches down, an elongated single-story building, and appears almost as if part of the site. The architecture goes against the usual style of a mountain hut: a wide, cantilevered platform roof protects the underlying perimetric floor-to-ceiling glass façade, which makes the building appear more transparent and lighter. Familiar materials, though, were used: wood terraces, wood furniture, as well as natural stone masonry for the kitchen and adjoining room area. Three timber-clad cubes divide the otherwise completely open floor plan of the spacious guest area, which feels more like a lounge than a mountain hut.

The former Ifinger cable car of the 1960s was replaced in 2010. Construction works lasted a mere ten months and ran between Naif (750 m), near Merano, and the ski resort Merano 2000, at 1960 m above sea level. Two cabins for 120 people now ascend to the mountain station in only six minutes. There the cable car technology, by the company Doppelmayr, is housed in a large cube, a recognizable landmark from afar with its red, light perforated exterior, which seems to sway over the white terraces of the reception area. Few materials are used here − steel, glass and light colored concrete − to create a transparent lightness which optimizes the views of the superb mountain landscape. The valley and mountain stations are multiple award-winning alternatives to the usual technology. They combine technology, functionality and design to create a timeless architectural structure.

In Brunico’s school quarter, the UFO Youth Center was built in order to meet the needs of the young people who use it, including its unconventional architectural language. The roof structure, which is encased in titanium plates and glass, can also be reached via a seemingly weightless exterior steel staircase and effectively gives the impression that an unidentified flying object has landed on the four-story building. The underlying plastered solid structure, with its “skewed” two-story, steel-and-glass entrance building, evokes the curiosity to enter. The full-height window walls and bright spaces are meant to make teenagers feel at home inside the building. The covered terrace and the tiered seating directly in front are further invitations to settle in and stay awhile. Definitely a refreshingly relaxed architecture.

It was Mussolini’s idea to establish a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the First World War on the site where a monument to the Kaiserjäger had already been commenced. A collection of donations throughout the whole of Italy financed the new monument. However, the architect designed a victory monument in the style of Roman triumphal arches as apologia for the conquest-hungry fascists with its insignia and an inscription, which refers to the martial tradition of the Roman Empire. It was seen as a grave insult to German-speaking South Tyroleans. After lengthy negotiations between the province of South Tyrol and the Italian cultural ministry, the high-fenced-in monument opened, in the catacombs of the building, a permanent exhibition in 2014 about events that unfolded under two dictatorships from 1918-1945, in order to improve understanding and communication.

The information center for the nature park Rieserferner-Ahrn/Vedrette di Ries-Aurina is located at the public parking lot in Kasern/Casere at the the end of the Ahrntal valley in a simple but modern wooden building.

On the ground floor there is an exhibit concerning the crafts and agriculture of the farther reaches of the Ahrntal valley. You will also find here information concerning the nature parks of South Tyrol. A relief provides an overview of the landscape and the view of the valley’s far end will surely make you want to hike there. The exhibition in the center’s basement provides exciting interactive insight into the fascinating world of the farthest reaches of the Ahrntal valleyl.

A documentary titled "Prettauer Leben-Vivere a Predoi-Life in Prettau/Predoi" features village residents talking about their lives. Four cross-border paths, which form the heart of the exhibit, provide information concerning the diversity of nature in the region and the region’s history. In the projection room, visitors can view an impressive short film about nature park Rieserferner-Ahrn/Vedrette di Ries-Aurina.

Situated in the Dolomites amongst the protected Viles (Ladin hamlets), this residential home stands at 1,200 meters above sea level. The house, divided into a home and a separate holiday apartment, has borrowed the wooden-clad building style of the traditional Paarhöfe (pairs of residential and farming buildings) and was carefully built on the steep meadow. The concrete construction remains visible in the interior of the building, smoothed and painted white, and the exterior is covered in darkly varnished wood. Hand-fashion, untreated, matured pine wood from the local area was used for the interior. The house is completely self-sufficient in terms of energy: it has its own source of water, geothermal power, and uses solar energy collected by solar panels integrated into the roof. The chalet has been awarded many prizes.

The former Realgymnasium high school which lies in the center of the old town was converted and extended for use as a satellite Brunico campus of the Free University of Bolzano focusing on tourism management, sport and events management. The large, angular old building was also carefully renovated. The smaller wing of the building received a new stairwell built from concrete, the inscription of which has become well known in the city. This welcoming inscription tablet, alongside two new sections of building, form a peaceful square that provides a welcome open space in the narrow old town. A new, large underground auditorium, which can also be used as a room for public events, is situated underneath. The structure of the old building is recognizable in the interior design to which modern details have been tastefully added. The teaching rooms are situated on the top floor.

Urban planning considerations led to three parallel, elongated wings of varying heights, the two-story covered entrance which is situated on Lazzeriniplatz Square. Its use of the same materials: exposed concrete, steel and glass throughout, and consistent design, convey an architectonically heterogeneous environment of tranquility and space. From the entrance you walk into a spacious, light-flooded hall between the first and second wings, which reaches all of the floors. Underneath there is the sports hall, with stair towers at the ends. The glazed steel bridges, designed by Heimo Zobernig, allow for open access to the third wing and to the break area of the roof terrace.

The available land near the old town is constricted, and offers only limited space for gardens. Terraces were thus put in on each floor of the three-story, compact building, creating individual, protected recreational areas. By the use of traditional materials, a simple and functional plastered solid construction was built, in which an old architectural element was reinterpreted with glass bay windows on the front of the rooms. A contemporary modification of traditional motifs and materials is repeated several times in this building, so that the elderly may find a certain feeling of familiarity in their new surroundings. Most importantly an attempt was made to meet the needs of dementia patients by grouping their rooms around easily manageable common areas.

Museion and its bridge link the old Austrian and the new Italian neighborhoods of the city, creating a built connection to a new era opposite the divisive Fascist architecture of the victory monument. The stylistic idiom of the mostly closed building, wrapped in its aluminum armor and with its far-reaching right angles, opens onto both parts of the city with its glassed narrow sides, encouraging one to enter. These glass facades are transformed into projection screens in the urban setting when darkness falls. The purely white architecture takes over the clear rooms inside, without dominating: a function to serve diverse exhibitions. The two swaying parts of the bridge over the Talvera/Talfer River form part of the museum’s concept: they symbolize the crossover of the two cultures that coexist here.

At the southern entrance to the Old City, this building creates a three dimensional town with a city gate, pathways and open spaces which connect the various business areas internally as well as vertically. The large glass surfaces of the otherwise smooth and forbidding aluminum and glass facade create an individual setting for the way into the city of Bolzano – the openness and exclusivity of commercial activities are recorded here. The corner building marks clearly the city's border; all that is missing is an adjoining building to complete this effect. The interior spaces are of an ideal temperature, using very little energy altogether. A closed office atmosphere is avoided by the transparency of the succession of rooms created by elegant glass walls and light corridors; teamwork is encouraged and the visitor is openly welcomed.

The Province Technical College for the Health Professions was built in close proximity to Bolzano Hospital. The two-story reinforced concrete structure, surrounded by a glass facade, towers on an L-shaped plan. With steel supports for the balconies in front of the facade and the broad, cantilevered canopy construction, which goes around the whole building. The structure is light, almost floating, an interesting contrast to the monumental staircases built in front. The interior design, with floors made of pale natural stone, partition walls made from maple, glass and aluminum as well as its warm colors, lend Claudiana Province Technical College a pleasant atmosphere. There is a broad, square tiled plaza in front of the building, which conveys a very spacious feel.

The City and University Library in Brunico stands on an awkward construction site between single-family homes and the backs of buildings, and is also separated from the new town hall square – a subordinate position within the urban fabric for a culturally significant building. Between the heavy buildings, however, the architects have managed to insert some architectural freshness: open, transparent, timeless, modern without trendy flourishes, and with variable internal surfaces for variable use. The result is a visually light concrete structure that seems to float on its slender columns above the covered vestibule. The building features floor-to-ceiling glass facades and a shed roof above the uppermost terrace, in front of the meeting rooms. Inside there is only one solid core, while the rest of the floor plan are free surfaces that can be separated with shelves, glass walls and movable dividers. The color scheme is fresh, providing for a lively atmosphere.

The Fascist Youth GIL Buildings emerged in Merano/Meran, Bressanone/Brixen and Bolzano/Bozen in the 1930s according to designs by the architects Miozzo and Mansutti. Although in need of renovation, only the Bressanone structure has retained its original form. In Bolzano one of the most important buildings of Fascist Italy's rationalism period, a structure that had already been dilapidated, has been successfully repurposed. It was renovated and expanded through a competition. The fact that an Austrian architect achieved this, shows the overlap of cultures in Bolzano. The renovated, heritage-listed old building sections, painted in Tuscany red, were contrasted with a transparent building of glass and steel on a lightweight concrete structure, which also redefined the urban context with a vestibule, garden café and garden courtyard. The design of the interior spaces is just as light as that of the external appearance.

Behind the monastery garden rises the light facade of the Kapuzin Monastery, next to which the disguised new school building built in a grey sandstone sits unnoticed. A section of wall was added onto the old east-facing facade, behind which there is a corridor with classrooms that look onto the intimate monastery courtyard. The majority of the rooms had to be built underground due to the extremely limited space available. Illumination in these rooms has been created through skylights in the garden and sophisticated guided shafts of light. This directed lighting removes any trace of a cellar-like feeling, and allows for a highly concentrated learning environment. An elegant set of steel steps leads from the entrance hall to all of the floors; all of the corridors are colorfully decorated. An aesthetic symbiosis between the old and the new has been found for this place of teaching and learning.

In terms of design, responding to Angiolo Mazzoni's imposing train station building (1928), on the opposite side of the street, was no easy task. This has been achieved to the point that the new building, like the train station, goes beyond architecture and is now an urban structure. Its undulated form, which is divided into individual houses, is determined by the surrounding urban spaces: by the semicircular station square on the front, by the rectangular Magnagoplatz, and by the Laurin- and Rittner Straße at the rear. The building itself is crossed by three radial passageways from the station square and has two inner courtyards. The facades on the ground and mezzanine floors are clad in white marble, the four upper floors in reddish porphyry. The interior spaces of the building are well illuminated; the design of the office departments is varied.

With its curved floor plan, the town hall of Brunico/Bruneck follows the course of the Europastrasse street, which in turn follows the riverbend of the Ahr around Schloss Bruneck castle. The building is intended to refresh the overall image of the city and to set a new urbanistic accent in an otherwise rather shapeless development. The building consists of four parts, which were loosely arranged around the town hall square, but nevertheless form a structural unit. With its 3,000 square metres, the square creates an open space that underlines the importance of the town hall. The square is one of three squares, all paved and without plants. Meusburger Platz is located between the school and the old gym and is equipped with stone columns. The school square also offers sports facilities.

Water is the main theme at the visitor center aquaprad.  After entering the facility, visitors can hear and see water.  About 30 local fish species can be seen in fourteen spectacular tanks.  In an impressive manner, visitors will receive insight into the local fish fauna – from mountain streams to rivers, from high mountain lakes to the floodplain. 

The three wood constructions, which looks like spruces, inform the visitors about the activity of our forests and the possibility of the usage of the wood. The trees are accessible and with bridges they are connected together. The attraction is recommended especially for children and families, as it is located next to the playground Waldwunderwelt and is very quiet.

In 1250, Bishop Bruno of Brixen founded Bruneck Castle, which served as his summer residence. The town that evolved below the castle walls took on its name. After an eventful history, having been used as a prison and as a school, today the castle houses the fifth Messner Mountain Museum, which focuses on mountain peoples. The historical structure was carefully excavated and restored. The rooms, however, were not sufficient to house the museum and so a section is housed underground, in spaces that were once part of the fortification walls. Modern architectural forms were used for all the additions and new buildings, with concrete, steel, wood and glass having been used as materials. Only the parts that had to be provided as temporary extensions, for example the cashier areas and rooms for temporary exhibitions, were consciously done in wood and may be dismantled at any time.

Based on the urban concept of Dutch architect Frits van Dongen, this group of buildings nettled between orchards and vineyards was developed with farmsteads and castles in mind. In keeping with the “Living in the Park” concept, the three separate buildings comprising the polygonal residential block are centered around a spacious courtyard. Large free-form entrances connect it to the underground garage and form the well-lit main entrance to the complex. Sophisticated architectural design was created in order to conform to the restrictive guidelines for the sponsored residential complex. Four layout designs and three different window shapes were employed in creating flats for 92 families, all designed slightly differently. The exteriors are of a rough, beige concrete while the smooth, white-varnished facades of the courtyard optimize the open space of the private courtyard.

Loffererhof Farm and its greenhouses, located behind the old Gries church, were demolished shortly after 1900, and the elementary school and kindergarten were built in 1908. The school was renovated in 1998. A gymnasium was added to this building group in 2002, an independent fourth building that encloses the intermediate schoolyard space. The transparent construction, a steel-and-glass structure, is reminiscent of the Orangerie that was formerly located here. The ball-proof suspended construction of the glass façade makes the building appear transparent and affords views of the old chestnut tree. The cafeteria, a final addition, was completed in 2008, inserted into the narrow space between the street and the old school building underground with a skylight in such a way that the historical building still appears detached.

From an architectural standpoint, the climbing and bouldering arena in Brunico/Bruneck was designed to fit in with various existing, largely heterogeneous buildings. With a powerful and independent architectural language, the arena stands in contrast to the natural and already existing environment as constructed. The large variation in height and room depth as well as the arrangement of the inner courtyard and the outdoor climbing area result in high-quality outdoor spaces, which nevertheless appear as a coherent, interconnected building formation. The back of the building has no openings, while the facades facing the inner courtyard are glazed to the height of the building, as if opening themselves up to the visitor. The indoor climbing hall is highly recognisable and, despite its rocky structure, blends in well with nature and the landscape. The overall design is minimalist: sparse details and clear lines of concrete and local limestone.

Visitor Center Nature Park Schlern-Rosengarten: The area of the nature park Schlern-Rosengarten has a diversified history, not only in its prehistoric formation. The resulting flora and fauna as well as the management by the people, along with their customs and myths, have left their mark. The exhibition in the Visitor Center Nature Park tries to show all aspects of this area’s unique geology, which was the main reason leading to being named as a Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the flora and fauna, which has always been a source of attraction and inspiration for scientists and nature lovers. In laborious detail work, the inhabitants of this area contributed significantly to the preservation of this valuable cultural and natural landscape. In addition to the exhibitions of the Visitor Center Nature Park department, the tourist office Seis am Schlern and the village library complete the offer for guests and locals.

From 1230 forwards the castle was home to knights and caretakers in the Gader Valley, who were appointed by the Bishop of Brixen until 1803. Farmers inhabited it from that point on, until it was converted into the Museum of Ladin History and Culture, and was expanded. The central point of the information is, amongst others, the cave bear, Ursus ladinicus, for which a branch museum in St Kassian was created. A foyer area was added onto the castle with a bar and rooms for temporary exhibitions, area constructed from wood, steel and glass, which with its flat roof goes almost unnoticed next to the superior historical building, and is a good example of a timeless modern construction. Inside, robust wooden flooring and whitewashed walls create a neutral background for various exhibitions and floor-to-ceiling glass-paneled sections of the facade look out onto a gorgeous view.

The Ursulinen school building was build at the start of the twentieth century by the Ursulin Tower on the main street. Next to the large, three-story building with its vertical plastered structure stands a significantly smaller new building with steel and glass facades emphasizing a horizontal effect, which not only seems much smaller than the old building − yet with more usable space! − it also reflects the listed facades opposite it. The glass cube in the new entrance to the school gives you a preview of the structure of the new building even before you have walked along the glass corridors to reach it. This successfully combines the different styles of architecture. The artist Manfred Alois Mayr put together a cheerful color palette for the interior of the new building, which sits in vibrant harmony next to white plaster and the grey exposed concrete.

Under Mussolini in the 1930s, Italian factory workers were settled in a garden city called the Semirurali. These very simple houses with gardens for self-sufficiency were demolished in the postwar period, and replaced by modern residential buildings. The new complex tried not to distribute and make freely accessible the individual residential buildings around the property but rather to plan squares and streets in accordance with the existing “rules of urban design.” In the spaces between, contiguous rows of buildings were built. They border the streets and squares, as was common in the cities before the relaxed construction of modern times gave up these norms. In spite of the row construction, the buildings stand out as individual homes because of the arrangement of loggias and glass coverings as the color scheme, and thereby convey a feeling of identity.

The contemporary longing for nature and sports in the city influenced the thinking of the Fascist municipal government of Bolzano/Bozen and, as a result, had an outdoor swimming complex built on the banks of the Isarco/Eisack River. From a horticultural viewpoint, the site was designed as a striking landscape architecture within the urban area. The buildings show the influence of the Italian rationalist thought of those years, oriented towards the Bauhaus. Clear functionality and a design that is both reduced and concentrated on the essential, avoided Fascist monumentality of any kind. The plastered entrance building with its sweeping terrace section shows expressive motifs that do not deny the influence of the Gmunden outdoor pool by Franz Gessner, a student of Otto Wagner's. Although this architecture seemed strange to the South Tyroleans of the day, it is nevertheless of lasting quality.