10. Austria

_Mountain cabin in Laternser Valley_

Standing proud and striking, despite its modest size, on the edge of a ravine in Laterns, Austria, is the award winning Mountain Cabin constructed by Marte.Marte Architects. Stretching up like a squat tower, flat roofed, raw and devoid of ornament, it is far removed from the typology one usually associates with an Alpine cabin, in a good way.

The cabin is an exercise in pared down materiality: Hewn rough concrete exterior, raw concrete interior walls and ceilings, untreated oak floors, doors and windows, and black metal fixtures.

Openings are punched into the walls

Rectangular openings wrap around the body of the house, dividing it into two and creating a sheltered outdoor terrace on the upper-middle floor. As well as framing far-reaching views of the surrounding mountains and forests, this level functions as the building’s entrance and can be accessed via a staircase at the rear. Square windows are dotted around each elevation and are the only other interruption to the clean lines of the facade. The exterior of roughly hewn concrete gives a rocky texture to the walls, making it look like a block of ice rising from the snow in winter.

The driveway was the only modification to the terrain

Striking contrast with the wooden house of the Catholic Community of Sisters beyond

Entry level terrace

Living and dining on the upper level

Inside, a spiral staircase connects the living space in the upper level with the private areas on the lower levels. Smooth concrete walls and ceilings are left exposed inside the house and contrast with the rugged surface of the facade. Floors, doors and window frames are oak, as is much of the furniture. “The openings punched into the double-walled concrete shell are transformed into framed landscape paintings,” says the studio, describing the views from the windows.

The staircases

Bedroom

Shower room

Rough hewn concrete exterior

elevations

section

plans

Photography: © Marc Lins Photography I Marte.Marte Architects