Youthhostel Gerlos

Krimml, Austria

Photo © Julian Höck

Regelgrundriss

Erdgeschoss

Architects: Lechner & Lechner Architects

Location: Hochkrimml 244, 5743 Krimml, Austria
Year: 2021
Client: Jugendgästehaus Gerlosplatte GmbH
Team: Christine Lechner, Horst Lechner, Lukas Ployer, Michael Trixl, Paul Lechner
statics: Forsthuber ZT GmbH (Thomas Forsthuber)
fire protection: GOLSER TECHNISCHES BÜRO GmbH
building physics: Ingenieurbüro Ing. Denis Gappmaier
house technic: Bestra GmbH
house technic: OPTIPLAN Ingenieurgesellschaft für technische Gebäudeausrüstung und Energiewirtschaft GmbH
geology: Mag. Andreas Pflügler GmbH

This project aims to make school trips in an ecological environment more affordable. That is why the hotel is built of regional wood which forms a solid wood construction. The hotel is heated by biomass district heating, the journey is mainly by coach and the leftover wood of the cross-laminated timber walls was processed into furniture. The main structure of the hostel is designed as a longitudinal timber structure. The main intention was to create a south-facing U-shaped “village square” between the main building and the street, which functions as a semi-public zone. This square is accompanied by two side wings, which are formed as landscape waves and allow the square to sink into the landscape. When entering the hostel via the village square, you are in the foyer. This is where the vertical development begins with suspended ramps and spacious air holes. This allows visual relationship into the deeper landscape on the other side of the building and to the sport areas inside. A climbing wall goes through this vertical development and starts on the lower levelled sports area.