Mountain climbing is rarely associated with comfort and style, but this climber’s hut in the Alps is a surprisingly chic launching pad for mountaineers beginning a new climbing expedition.
Previously, this site (located at an altitude of over 3,200 metres) held a climbers’ facility constructed in 1929, and while it had undergone several renovations and adaptations, it was still hopelessly out of date. In 2013, the Swiss Alpine Club decided to scrap the building entirely and held a competition to build a new mountain hut. The winner was Swiss architectural firm Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes, with a state-of-the-art facility that’s sleek, environmentally efficient, and comfortable.
The north, east, and west sides of the building have small openings to prevent heat loss, while the south wall has large windows and solar panels to optimize energy usage. The facility has six dorms, 116 beds, a professional kitchen, and a truly one-of-a-kind view.
The hut is perched at the edge of a glacier, but it wasn’t built there. In fact, the building was prefabricated and had to be lifted in pieces by helicopter. The result is worth the effort. While not intended for luxury, these accommodations are nevertheless pretty swanky for a “hut.”
