«Topali» mountain refuge

winner

Only the disciplines of geometry, measurement and modularity could answer the challenges related to building in this remote location at an altitude of 2,750 metres. Constructed on the foundational remains of the old refuge – erected in 1916 and destroyed by fire in 1998 – the new structure has a wooden frame clad in a thin skin of stainless steel.

Constrained by dimensions of 72 cm and 36 cm for the stainless steel panels, the constituent elements of the project had to be drafted very precisely. The windows – of a standard side-hinged type – are integral to the modular scheme and fit perfectly into a structural void. Each window has been specifically positioned to make the most of the interior space. The complex random appearance of the windows is, therefore, not expressing a design statement, but fulfilling a function required for this very small space. Only the window for the communal living area breaks that rule: it fills a whole wall, from ceiling to floor, and projects the visiting alpinist into the landscape.

The question posed by a contemporary intervention in a high-altitude landscape – which goes entirely against tradition – is answered by the proposition that human intervention in these inhospitable places must reflect the technological culture of the period in which the intervention takes place.

The contemporary concept is further accentuated when the refuge is closed during the winter season. Then, with snow as a constant companion, the fragile stainless steel “container” stands within its sublime natural surroundings like a piece of Land Art.