10 Dec Gfell Hotel in Völs am Schlern, Italy

Housed below an old barn in South of Tyrol, the Gfell is an underground hotel with surreal views. Designers at Network of Architecture took a less invasive approach and built down rather than up, placing guest rooms and a spa in the hillside to reduce the impact to the site and limit obstruction to the views of the neighboring restaurant. Guests enter the resort through an existing barn that’s been carefully restored and converted into a reception area with a lounge and breakfast hall. A staircase leads to two levels embedded into the sloping terrain containing 17 rooms with custom-designed furniture, a wall of glazing, and terraces overlooking the valley below, along with a wellness center with a sauna and relaxation area.

Inside, all the rooms take light from the large window overlooking the valley and they are structured seamlessly under the large wooden truss, which was partly rebuilt from scratch in line with local architectural tradition to restore all the feel of a typical South Tyrolean farmstead. Even the flooring, which makes an impression as a simple original cement screed, aims to reproduce the uneven surface area of the original barn (a specific treatment makes the surface waterproof and stain-resistant, however). In the middle is a spectacular column fireplace reinterpreting the alpine hearth and creating a visual crux around which the different functional spaces revolve.

Brise soleil-type wooden panels soften radiation from the sun during the hottest hours of the day, whilst creating aesthetic impact at the same time.

Outside, the building opens out onto a large terrace that provides guests with a view over the valley.

curated by ozzie small