Turmhaus Tirol — Zell am Ziller, Austria
As landmarks go, it’s difficult to miss the distinctive silhouette of Turmhaus Tirol. For this, full credit goes to Munich-based architect Grünecker Reichelt and interiors studio Holzrausch for subverting traditional alpine architecture with a slender six-storey pitched-roof tower clad in larch boards that has been piled deep into the mountain side – three stories rising above the snowline, and three cut into the mountain.
The basement levels comprise garage, billiard and wine cellar, and foyer and the first of five guestrooms.
The mood of the house, which is rented in its entirety, is gratifyingly modern alpine in its swathes of fair-faced concrete, natural stone floors, and larch furniture. Light floods in through generously proportioned vitrine windows, the latter creating dramatic backdrops of Zillertal valley with its snow-capped mountains and white-dusted firs.
A sauna leads off the central kitchen on the ground floor, but it’s the verandahs, strategically placed around the house, that offer solitude and bracing tectonic views.
No surprises, but the diversions are here snow-based with a ski resort a bare five-minute drive away. For classic Tyrolean fare, nearby Gastaus Linde has the bases covered, its roast pork and liver an indolent bookend to a day on the slopes.
ADDRESS
Gerlosberg 17g 6280
Zell am Ziller
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Dries Van Noten to exit his eponymous label in June
After 38 years, Belgian designer Dries Van Noten – who rose to fame as part of the Antwerp Six – is set to exit his role as creative director of his namesake brand
By Jack Moss Published
-
Akris Spring 2024 is a vivid tribute to a textile design legend
Textile designer Felice ‘Lizzi’ Rix-Ueno inspires Akris’ Spring 2024 collection, which is alive with botanical references
By Simon Mills Published
-
A Mexican artist’s studio makes the most of light and volume in San Miguel Chapultepec
A Mexican artist's studio and home, designed by JJRR in the heart of Mexico City, makes the most of volume and light for its owner, Stefan Bruggemann
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Take a dip at Badeschloss Hotel, a storied bathing sanctuary in Austria
Badeschloss Hotel in the Austrian spa town of Bad Gastein is newly renovated by BWM Designers & Architects and bubbling with vitality
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro Published
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
By Dimity Noble Last updated
-
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Jennifer Choo Last updated
-
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France
By Daven Wu Last updated