NIDUM casual luxury hotel | Arkan Zeytinoglu Architects

Innovative, sustainable and modern Alpine hotel with panoramic view

The For Friends stands for a hotel of very high environmental-friendly, social, technical and functional quality. Through effective sun protection, a massive-construction style and the setting of the single bodies of the building as well as through the incorporation of many glass elements, the hotel reaches the energy efficiency category A+. This considerable efficiency is mainly due to the way of construction and the use of renewable energy sources.

Consequently, the hotel was recognized by the Austrian Energy Agency and was awarded the “klimaaktiv” certificate in 2014.

Location
Positioning the required volume on the site called for a precise study of the location. The new building maintains a respectful distance to the neighbouring building. To ensure the kind of homogeneous settlement structure found in this area, the plinth levels were made as cultivated terraces which, through their appearance, engage the natural landscape. The building mass was broken up into three volumes; thanks to the underground garage that has a direct connection to the approach road the complex is kept free of traffic.

Green building
The 5* hotel comprises 57 rooms with a modern and decent design that reflects the traditions of the Tyrolean region. In order to reach the energy efficiency goals, the architects planned a very compact building structure, with the external parts of the hotel being strongly isolated and the inner parts possessing a high capacity of energy storage. A great solar system on the roof as well as two pellets burning boilers provide the hotel with heating and warm water.

Basement
The traffic connection is by means of an existing approach road, deliveries and handling are also at basement level. The south-western part has a basement, the services yard is located here and has its own connection to the storerooms, kitchens and the “back of house”.

Ground floor
The driveway to the hotel is at the level of this terrace in the terrain. In the entrance area guests experience a generously dimensioned void that opens up the plinth level, ventilates it and connects to the wellness floor above. The “welcome zone” serves as an internal hotel distributor with the administration, cigar lounge and the lobby bar grouped around it. An elongated reception area with a shop accompanies the guests to the guest lifts that serve the bedroom floors and the circulation of the wellness area. The “Kids Club” is located directly beside the reception area, from where it can be monitored and supervised. The restaurant areas and the vinothek are directly connected to the show kitchen and the working kitchen and can be used separately.

Wellness floor
The wellness floor was placed above the ground floor in order to separate the “dressing gown” area for hotel residents from the areas used by non-resident visitors to the hotel. The guests are received at the “Vitalbar” that also serves as the beauty and treatment reception area. The indoor pool is continued outdoors in the direction of the Oberinntal in the form of an infinity pool. The pool is equiped with a water upheaval, which only takes nine minutes and reduces the use of chemicals such as chlorine to a minimum level.

The generously sized terrace allows sunbathing throughout the day with panoramic views on all sides. In the south-western area of the wellness floor there is a sauna area, a whirlpool and Kneipp basins that complete the range of facilities. The sauna area has a ladies’ and a gentlemen’s sauna and a steam bath, as well as its own sauna terrace that cannot be seen into by the other guests.

Guest room floors
Although grouped in separate building parts that face in different directions, the guest rooms are reached from just a single circulation tower. The rooms are decorated in a way that reflects aspects of the surrounding landscape. Materials such as larch, leather, linen and wool underscore the regional nature of the products and convey a comfortable atmosphere. The ideal orientation of the facades ensures pleasant and, above all, glare-free light in the individual bedrooms. The screen of round poles mounted in front of the facade – a quotation from rural architecture – provide ideal protection from the sun. Towards the south the guests can enjoy breathtaking views of the Oberinntal and the mountains.