ATTO Suites | Pedevilla Architects

Set beneath the almost 3,000m high peaks of the Haunold mountains, in eastern High Pusteria Valley, the village of San Candido has existed in its present form since the early Middle Ages and boasts a history stretching back over 1250 years.

In the historic centre of San Candido, with ATTO Suites, a new guesthouse has been created, seeing itself as a " home away from home". In the interest of the local population, however, the declared aim of the project was also to have the given address eventually take on a more public character and thus significantly enhance the Färberstraße, which runs parallel to the main pedestrian zone.

The building's position and orientation, unlike its predecessor, are rooted in the historically grown building structure, allowing it to stand out as an independent building with its gabled front and carry on the character of the location.

On the ground floor, a new restaurant with farm-to-table concept uses the mountain-side guest garden and connects to the pedestrian zone via a new pathway. Upstairs, seven premium holiday suites have been built, all with a direct view of the prominent Haunold mountains.

Each of the suites is oriented towards at least two sides and sets its own loggia in front of the scene – whose star is the magnificent panorama – similar to a theatre box. The use of regional wood such as spruce and fragrant stone pine matches the tinted insulating concrete façade, as well as the handcrafted terrazzo floors, plaster and roof tiles, which in colour and grain refer to the local Sesto brook stone.

Many important historical buildings in the immediate vicinity were built from this stone - including the 12th century church. Thus, the materials used in the new building also reflect the history of the place.

Being built of mineral material with simple and sturdy details, the building offers expressive durability. Inside, the deliberate choice of colours and materials creates a sense of familiarity and security, reminiscent of the sheltering, cosy parlours in the high mountains. From the suites, the eye is led to the view, while the valuable and representative feeling is carried by the structure and the earthy tones of their surfaces.

A drop-shaped ornamentation appears on various elements and accentuates a sense of value by offering an emotional approach. Its roots within the history of the venerable location become palpable, and warm hospitality is experienced architecturally. For the restaurant and the penthouse - the two most distinctive rooms in the project - the ornament was elevated to form the prevailing design characteristic. Cut from the spruce paneling, the ornament also takes on the versatile tasks of lighting, acoustics, and ventilation. Hemp and virgin wool from the region were used as insulating materials on the room side, but also for the textiles.

The lime plasters used were made with the locally available aggregate, which was ground into different grain sizes, sometimes applied and washed out by hand, sometimes roughly sprayed on.

All in all, the architecture of the ATTO is seen as a contribution to a holistic and authentic tourism concept, in which attention is paid to the very place with its own history and crafts. The goal was to define luxury sustainably and through simplicity, through short distances and materials allowing a noble patina – materials, that gain character if they are touched only often enough.

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client: private
location: San Candido / South Tyrol
volume: 2.650 m3
project and realisation: 2018-2022
collab: Johanna Herzog, Giorgio Larcher, Lea Mittelberger, Michael Rollmann, Matteo Bolgan, Leonie Singer