Architecture
Alpine hut Oberholz
The Oberholz Alpine Hut, located at an altitude of 2,096 metres in the Dolomites, stands out for its distinctive architecture, which appears to emerge naturally from the surrounding landscape. Inspired by a fallen tree whose branches extend beyond the slope, the building was designed by architects Peter Pichler and Pavol Mikolajcak and is set within the alpine landscape. The distinctive pitched roof structure made of larch wood, together with the use of spruce wood for the interiors, gives the building its characteristic architectural expression.
Located directly below the Oberholz chairlift mountain station, the hut extends longitudinally from southeast to northwest. Thanks to its carefully adapted position on the terrain, the lower level and part of the upper level remain largely hidden from view. The slender pitched roof branches out into three building volumes, resembling small houses with glazed gable fronts extending over the slope. The projecting volumes offer guests unobstructed views of the surrounding mountain peaks, while the panoramic window in the bar area, opening onto a southwest-facing terrace, provides impressive long-distance views.
Wood Construction and Certified Wood Materials
The building combines reinforced concrete with a prefabricated wood structure made of ribbed beams and panels in between. These wood-clad elements are fixed to the hillside reinforced concrete wall and the curved steel beams in the roof. Inside, the structure forms small “pockets”, creating intimate niches that divide the restaurant and create a cozy atmosphere. The walls are made of concrete, while the floor and furniture are in oak.
These contrasts between wood-clad surfaces and smooth gray exposed concrete walls create a unique spatial effect. All wood used is sourced from PEFC-certified forests. The building also features specific thermal transmittance values: 0.14 W/m²K for the walls and roof, and 0.6 W/m²K for the windows.
Lighting and Interior Design
Inside the alpine hut, the wooden ribbed ceiling plays a central role, with spaces reaching over four meters in height. Pendant lights, originally designed for museums, hang from long black cables, creating atmospheric lighting without glare. The aluminum lampshades diffuse light evenly, contributing to the hut’s unique atmosphere. The power cables run behind the prefabricated spruce wood panels, enhancing the room’s elegance and clarity.
Geothermal Heating at the Oberholz Mountain Hut
The Oberholz Mountain Hut is heated exclusively using geothermal energy, with no heating oil or gas. In addition, the kitchen and lighting are increasingly supplied with electricity generated by our own photovoltaic systems.
Geothermal energy is heat stored beneath the earth’s surface, including in rocks and groundwater. It can be used for heating and cooling and, under suitable conditions, for electricity generation. At Oberholz, geothermal energy is used to heat the mountain hut, while our photovoltaic systems generate part of the electricity required for its operation.
In Obereggen, the combination of geothermal heating and photovoltaic power generation is part of the technical systems used to operate the Oberholz Mountain Hut.
Oberholz Hut Architects
Peter Pichler was born in Bozen / Bolzano in 1982. He studied Architecture at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna and also attended the university in California. He graduated with honors in Vienna in the master class of Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher. During his student days, Peter worked together with Zaha Hadid in London on various projects and on the prize-winning Nordketten aerial lift in Innsbruck. Peter then worked in Rotterdam for Rem Koolhaas and then in Vienna in the team of Delugan Meissl, where he participated in the award-winning project for the concert hall in Amman, Jordan. After completing his degree, Peter went to Hamburg, where he worked for Zaha Hadid as project architect on the Library & Learning Center in Vienna and on a 150,000-m² mixed-use building complex in Bratislava.
Back in Italy, he founded PeterPichler Architecture in Milan. Peter Pichler is a registered architect in Italy and member of the Chamber of Architects of Bozen / Bolzano.
Peter was also nominated by the Italian Chamber of Architects as a young architectural talent.
Pavol Mikolajcak was born in Slovakia in 1981. He studied Architecture at the Technical University of Vienna and wrote his Diploma thesis in 2007 on the topic of "Museum of History in Bratislava." From 2003 till 2009, Pavol worked with the architect Christoph Mayr Fingerle in Bolzano in various architectural teams and on different architectural competitions. From 2009 till 2012, he worked with architect Walter Pichler in Bolzano. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Chamber of Architects of Bozen / Bolzano and is active as a freelance architect headquartered in Bolzano.
His most-important projects include:
The Felderhof Extension, Bozen City Hall (with architect Andreas Lengfeld), the Oberholz Alpine Hut (with architect Peter Pichler), a multi-purpose building in Barbian / Barbiano (with architects Andreas Lengfeld and Rudi Perathoner), an ice hockey stadium in Bruneck / Brunico, and an honorable mention in the 2014 Competition (with architects Peter Pichler and Vitomarco Marinaccio).
Die Architekten der Berghütte Oberholz
Peter Pichler
Peter Pichler was born in Bozen / Bolzano in 1982. He studied Architecture at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna and also attended the university in California. He graduated with honors in Vienna in the master class of Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher. During his student days, Peter worked together with Zaha Hadid in London on various projects and on the prize-winning Nordketten aerial lift in Innsbruck. Peter then worked in Rotterdam for Rem Koolhaas and then in Vienna in the team of Delugan Meissl, where he participated in the award-winning project for the concert hall in Amman, Jordan. After completing his degree, Peter went to Hamburg, where he worked for Zaha Hadid as project architect on the Library & Learning Center in Vienna and on a 150,000-m² mixed-use building complex in Bratislava.
Back in Italy, he founded PeterPichler Architecture in Milan. Peter Pichler is a registered architect in Italy and member of the Chamber of Architects of Bozen / Bolzano.
Peter was also nominated by the Italian Chamber of Architects as a young architectural talent.
Pavol Mikolajcak
Pavol Mikolajcak was born in Slovakia in 1981. He studied Architecture at the Technical University of Vienna and wrote his Diploma thesis in 2007 on the topic of “Museum of History in Bratislava.” From 2003 till 2009, Pavol worked with the architect Christoph Mayr Fingerle in Bolzano in various architectural teams and on different architectural competitions. From 2009 till 2012, he worked with architect Walter Pichler in Bolzano. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Chamber of Architects of Bozen / Bolzano and is active as a freelance architect headquartered in Bolzano.
His most-important projects include:
The Felderhof Extension, Bozen City Hall (with architect Andreas Lengfeld), the Oberholz Alpine Hut (with architect Peter Pichler), a multi-purpose building in Barbian / Barbiano (with architects Andreas Lengfeld and Rudi Perathoner), an ice hockey stadium in Bruneck / Brunico, and an honorable mention in the 2014 Competition (with architects Peter Pichler and Vitomarco Marinaccio).
