In the newly reconstructed Hotel Schgaguler, the architectural axiom of responding to a site is expressed with commendable élan. Against the formidable backdrop of the Dolomites in a bijou village near the Val Gardena, the new façade is a porous rendition of white volumes lined completely in glass. The pitched roofs echo tectonic silhouettes while retaining the spare simplicity of the line drawings of a house that a child might draw.
Inside, the Milan-based studio Peter Pichler Architecture (working with Martin Schgaguler), has carved out 42 rooms, of which 34 are new. The lofty spaces are filled out in a clean Nordic palette of chestnut and concrete, and dressed for their close-ups with ‘NychairX’ by Takeshi Nii, and ‘Basica’ lamps trimmed in nickel and bronze by Santiago Roqueta.
Diversions are, of course, dominated by the ski season, but it pays dividends to linger in the Schgaguler’s spa which includes a clutch of saunas, and a 14m pool equipped with a counter-current mode.
The cuisine is predictably alpine oriented, but touched with Mediterranean flavours and based on produce from local suppliers. Headliners include the South Tyrolean knödel, here presented with cheese, beetroot or spinach – a dish best paired with wines poured from local Valle-Isarco and Bolzano vineyards. §
