Seiler Linhart Architekten is to expand and optimize the Doldenhorn hut. It won the competition for the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) project after beating five other competitors, according to a statement from the SAC. The winning project, Topas, envisages an extension on the western facade and an additional upper floor for the hut at the foot of the eponymous mountain in the Bernese Alps.
The Doldenhorn Hut originally provided basic accommodation for mountaineers. Having undergone several expansions, it has developed into a popular destination for families and small groups, writes the SAC. At the same time, the Doldenhorn Hut increasingly attracts day visitors. Its operations and buildings will be adapted to this change in use and target audience.
The winning project from Sarnen impressed the jury with “its cost-effectiveness and sustainability” and “its careful handling of the building’s history”, according to the statement. "The new building looks compact, serene and unobtrusive in the dominating mountain landscape," the jury's report explained in its appraisal. The redesign of the interior, in particular the bedrooms on the upper floor, is praised as "functionally and economically coherent". The project combines "high levels of spatial comfort with functional sophistication, ecological sustainability and robust durability".
