Mohr Life Resort - noa*
The Mohr Life Resort’s new wellness area was inaugurated in 2018, in one of the oldest skiing areas in Tirol, just an 80-km drive from Innsbruck. The hotel itself is steeped in history, a household name for anyone visiting the skiing carousel in the northern Alps.
The new glass and cement structure was built organically on a gentle slope located below the hotel. It features a unique view across the spacious valley which is peppered with old farmhouses and barns; the imposing 3,000 metres of the Zugspitze mountain – which represents a geographical border between Austria and Germany – overlooks the entire valley.
The buildings design intended to create a constant dialogue between the glass and cement and the environment’s morphology, culture, and history. The project was specifically designed considering the terrain’s gentle slope, developing across two levels to create differences in height to allow for the creation of the swimming pool.
The incredibly light building routed in the landscape obtains the aggregation of simple shapes: glass cubes placed across the two levels create the structural grid for the edifice’s skeleton. The use of the reflective nature of glass delivers a scenic effect where the differing shapes fade into the background and mirror the silhouette of the site. The pool runs along the glass facade, doubling the image of the mountain through its monochromatic mirroring effect.
The new wellness area at the Mohr Life Resort stretches out across 600 sqm and features a roofed infrastructure built from scratch and an outdoor area with a swimming pool. The latter also connects the two buildings via a central extension into the spa. The glass and cement structure extends horizontally to create an artificial rib, mirrored by the dry stone walls running along its side.
The ground floor also features a private lounge; a lobby and bar for refreshments; a Spa and scenic sauna for approximately 20 people featuring a mini bistro reminiscent of cinema halls, as well as changing booths and showers. The plan also includes a scenic spiral staircase which pinpoints the centre of the building and takes revellers to the first floor where 10 symmetrical chill-outs ‘stages’ await them.
Every ‘booth’ includes two deckchairs featuring different designs: open, spacious areas with huge swings hanging from the ceiling enshrouded by drapery or metal cones framing the mountain alternate with closed balconies delivering increased privacy and relaxation with an omnipresent mountain view.
Externally, the swimming pool represents the natural extension of the wellness area. It extends into the open and features chill-out areas similar to those internally which boast different sensory experiences.
Six ‘island boxes’ are dotted around the large water basin, reflecting the structure overlooking the pool. However the group of shapes virtually dissolves and opens up the view across the landscape as much as possible.
Both the indoor and outdoor elements of the pool feature ‘islands’ offering guests original and essential experiences which creates a strong relationship between the interior and exterior spaces, through the selection, curation and placement of furniture.
Andrum Spa - Johan Sundberg
A stepped concrete volume sits on the edge of the estate’s loosely enclosed inner garden, built into a slope that runs down towards a lower park. This houses the spa named Andrum, which translates as ‘breathing room’, to be a calming place.
The building is designed to incorporate the senses - light, aroma, taste, acoustics and touch. The materials are kept in their original form as far as possible, together forming an entity that is ‘soft-spoken and beautiful’. Andrum is a series of connecting rooms with various spa facilities, including baths, indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, a steam room and a waterfall experience, as well as treatment rooms.
A restrained palette has been used to create the simple interiors, which primarily feature exposed concrete walls, stone floors and slatted wooden ceilings.
To the west, facing the courtyard with full-height windows are the smaller treatment rooms and staff areas. To the east, on the lower level, a double-height glazed space housing a resting area and pool overlooks the surrounding natural landscape, sitting atop a solid concrete base.
Andrum comprises a number of connected rooms with various features such as bath, sauna, rain, waterfall and steam. There are spaces for resting throughout the building, as well as rooms for spa treatments. There is contact with the park from a separate terrace toward the southern side.
Johan Sundberg said of his studio’s scheme:
‘An arcade flanking the inner garden’s western side creates the building’s foyer, from that room, one wanders down to a lower plane excavated in part from the precipice. In these high-ceilinged rooms, there is contact with nature on all sides.
‘The idea of a colonnade is continued through to the lower resting space, where thin concrete columns split the face into glazed strips.
‘To the south, a more secluded terrace space has been created that sits on a stone platform. The terrace has an outdoor pool that has an even closer connection to the surrounding park.’
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