Zallinger Hut, where sustainability meets comfort and tradition

Castelrotto is a lovely village located in the province of Bolzano, in the heart of the Alpe di Siusi, an area well-known for its beautiful landscape and ski slopes. Here, at 2200 meters below the Sassopiatto mountain, stands the Zallinger Hut, recently renovated by studio noa* (Network of Architecture) combining sustainability, modern comfort and tradition.

Opened in the middle of the 19th century by Karl von Zallinger-Stillendorf, a leading figure of the era in South Tyrol, the building was once surrounded by a small church and seven barns which were later replaced by one large structure. The restyling completed in 2017 restored the original layout: the former barn was dismantled, the main body of the hotel redesigned and seven new chalets were built (each is a prefabricated module, which rests on a concrete platform), arranged respecting the original site plan. The inspiration comes from the past, from the local architectural tradition, as Andreas Profanter, partner of the noa* team, explains:

The layout, structure and appearance of the new buildings all take their lead from the site's history. Traditional South Tyrolean techniques were used, such as wooden shingles for the roofs. The distinctive facades, built with stacked blocks of solid wood, are based on rural stadel, a type of barn. The rustic, timber-clad appearance of these structures allows the inside to melt with the outside.

As well as adding a look that recalls the Jenga game, these solid wood panels leaning against each other are designed to open in correspondence with the large glass windows, offering an amazing view on the mountains.

Zallinger currently has a central building with 13 rooms, a bar, a restaurant and a wine cellar, as well as seven new chalets with 24 rooms and a wellness area. The interior is also created by noa*. As on the outside, the main material is wood, which is used for the shelving, wall cladding, furniture and even the bar counter, a giant fir tree trunk. The details, on the other hand, are inspired by the classic clothing of a hunter, such as floor and the cushions made of felt.