Be it an onion-domed church or a metal-clad warehouse, it’s not difficult for any building to appear dramatic against the natural landscape of South Tyrol, Italy. With snow-capped peaks and deep, winding valleys setting the scene, even the most quotidian structures come alive in this mountainous pocket of Central Europe, still locked in an Italian-Austrian identity crisis. (Bilingual but predominantly German-speaking South Tyrol was annexed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Italy in 1919.) So, it doesn’t hurt that the province, fiercely independent and rooted in agrarian cultural traditions, has embraced contemporary architecture that’s just as sensational as the scenery. This is, after all, home to a superlative high-altitude museum designed by Zaha Hadid.
Young South Tyrolean practitioners are producing bold, forward-looking work that’s idiosyncratic yet congruous with the landscape. Residential and hospitality projects—key to this tourism-heavy stretch of the Alps—have resulted in the largest bouts of experimentation, including modern interpretations of rural architecture. The latest project to depart from the chalet-style lodges that have long welcomed vacationers is from Andreas Gruber, architect of the region’s most curious—and environmentally conscious—new hotel.
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