Hasta La Ideas

Basel studio Pedrocchi Architekten have designed an extension to this fashion house in Austria with a faceted glass front.

The Foeger Woman Pure fashion house has huge concrete beams that criss-cross one another within the domed structure.

The interior consists of raw concrete, glass and natural stone flooring with exposed metal clothes rails that hang down from the beam.

Photographs are by Ruedi Walti Aussen

Here is some more information from the architects (in German):

Spektakulärer Neubau von Foger Woman Pure in Telfs

Seit 20 Jahren gehört „Foger Woman Pure“ zu den führenden Modehäusern Österreichs. Das ist das Werk von Midi Föger und ihrem verlässlichen Gespür für Stile und Trends. In der 15.000-Seelen-Gemeinde Telfs in Tirol bietet sie ihren Kundinnen Designermode aus den internationalen Metropolen.

Jetzt überrascht sie mit einem Aufsehen erregenden Um- und Neubau ihres Stammhauses. Der Schweizer Architekt Reto Pedrocchi erweiterte das Modehaus um einen kuppelartigen Bau, der die Kollektionen von neuen, viel versprechenden Modemachern wie Alexander Wang (New York) oder Peter Pilotto (London) beherbergt.

Damit setzt Midi Föger ihren eigenwilligen Weg spektakulär fort: „Erstklassige Mode bedarf eines erstklassigen Verkaufsrahmens“, umreißt die Inhaberin von Föger Woman Pure ihr Konzept. In Reto Pedrocchi hat sie einen Architekten gefunden, der ihren mutigen Ideen einen passenden Rahmen gibt. Mit seinem 140 m2 großem Anbau schuf er ein neues Wahrzeichen in der 15.000-Seelen-Gemeinde Telfs.

Diese Architektur soll auffallen“, erklärt der Basler Architekt. Trotz seines jungen Alters (wurde 1973 geboren) blickt er bereits auf eine beeindruckende Liste von Bauten zurück. Reto Pedrocchi arbeitete für das weltbekannte Architekturbüro Herzog & de Meuron als Projektleiter am gläsernen Flagship-Store von Prada in Tokyo, entwarf mit seinem ehemaligen Partner Beat Meier für das gemeinsame Architekturbüro Pedrocchi Meier Architekten unter anderem in China und Davos.

Für das japanische Avantgardelabel Comme des Garcons konzipierten die Basler Architekten zwei sogenannte „Guerrilla Stores“. Ein weiterer Höhepunkt ist die Teilnahme an einem Projekt des chinesischen Künstlers Ai Weiwei. In der inneren Mongolei plante Reto Pedrocchi zusammen mit Beat Meier eine von 100 Villen die im Jahr 2011 realisiert werden soll. Seit Fertigstellung der Erweiterung des Modehauses Föger, von Pedrocchi Meier Architekten, leitet Reto Pedrocchi nun sein eigenes Architekturbüro, Pedrocchi Architekten, in Basel.

Das Modehaus „Föger Woman Pure“ inszenierte der Architekt als einen Ort der Innovation und Kontemplation. Eine teilweise nach vorne gekippte Glasfront zieht sich über den gesamten Komplex und verbindet den Altbau mit dem vorgelagerten Neubau. Dieser ist betont ruhig gehalten, nüchterne Materialien wie Rohbeton oder Glas kontrastieren mit einem Natursteinboden in warmen Farben und einem Geborgenheit ausstrahlenden Lichtkonzept.

Der Erweiterungs-Neubau ist eine moderne Pilgerstätte“, erklärt der Architekt. Blickfang im Inneren ist ein sich kreuzender Betonträger, der die 7,3 Meter hohe kuppelartige Konstruktion aus Glas und Beton auf halber Höhe durchzieht. An ihm hängen überdimensionale Kleiderhaken aus Metall. „Ich wollte auch in der Präsentation der Mode neue Wege beschreiten“, so Midi Föger.

Seitdem sie das Modehaus 1988 als alleinige Inhaberin von ihrem Vater übernahm, führt sie die Creme de la Creme der internationalen Mode. Seit Beginn ihrer Laufbahn verkauft sie die. Kreationen von Designlegenden wie Miuccia Prada, Ann Demeulemeester oder Dries Van Noten. Anlässlich des Umbaus ihres Modehauses erweitert sie jetzt ihr Sortiment um eine ganze Reihe internationaler Newcomer: „Junge Frauen zwischen 35 und 50 greifen heute für Mode nicht mehr so tief in die Tasche.

Bei Design und Qualität wollen sie aber trotzdem keine Kompromisse eingehen.“ Ihnen bietet Midi Föger mit den Kreationen der amerikanischen Shooting Stars Alexander Wang und Jason Wu, des Briten Christopher Kane oder des Tirolers it-Designers Peter Pilotto Mode, die man in Österreich sonst kaum kriegt.

Stil, ist Midi Föger überzeugt, ist keine Frage des Alters oder des Einkommens. Das soll auch in Zukunft das Erfolgsrezept ihres spektakulären Tiroler Hauses sein.

See also:

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DURAS Daiba by Chikara Ohno	Arnsdorf temporary concept store by Edwards Moore	Alberta Ferretti store by Sybarite

Photographer Julien Lanoo has sent us his images of the recently completed Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom hotel by French architect Jean Nouvel

A five-storey volume with sloping roof stands in front of the facade, housing the lobby and entrance.

The top floor of the building houses the restaurant, comprising glazed walls on all sides and a brightly patterned ceiling that can be clearly seen from the street outside.

Elsewhere in the building patterned video panels in ceilings feature work by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist.

French landscape architect Patrick Blanc created a vertical garden for the project, including 20,000 species of plants.

More about Jean Nouvel on Dezeen »

More about Julien Lanoo on Dezeen »

More photography stories on Dezeen »

Here’s some more information from the hotelier:

The building offers a festival of light and reflections creating continuity between the interior and the exterior.

For the finishing touches of this purist aesthetic, the Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist has created glossy and multicoloured video ceilings, and the French architect-landscaper Patrick Blanc has planted a magnificent vertical garden, a ‘living’ wall covered with 20,000 species of plants.

Jean Nouvel is an internationally renowned architect who has masterfully integrated his contemporary vision into the traditional Viennese architecture.

The slanting, floating roof seems to merge into a glass façade allowing light to stream into the spacious lobby and illuminating the 5 upper levels. The elegant white, black and grey facades give a taste of the monochrome décor of the rooms.

For your meetings

The mezzanine of the Hotel Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom proposes a business lounge as well as a comfortable library and reading area.

For business events or special celebrations, choose from one of our 9 adjustable meeting and reception rooms, with natural lighting, equipped with cutting edge audio and video systems, and capable of hosting up to 130 people.

There is no doubt that these remarkable facilities will cause a sensation.

Gastronomy

From its vantage point on the 18th floor, the latest creation of the Hotel Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom is its entirely glass-walled restaurant, which is constantly exposed to the reflections of the changing light.

Its airy ambience overlooking the city and its shimmering painted ceiling makes it an ideal place for an unforgettable meal.

The best of French and Austrian cuisine rub shoulders in this establishment directed by the French three starred chef Antoine Westermann, who is determined to make it the latest ‘place to be’.

See also:

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Sofitel Lyon Bellecour Hotel by Patrick Norguet	Palazzina Grassi Hotel by Philippe Starck	The Yas Hotel by Asymptote

Colourful ceiling mosaics mark areas for different activities at this thermal spa in Vienna by 4a Architekten of Stuttgart.

Therme Wien is located in the city’s spa gardens surrounded by outdoor pools.

Inside, the diving area and water park are marked out by blue and white ceiling tiles, dark autumnal colours are above pool one while the foyer and second pool have bright contrasting colours.

Softer neutrals and browns predominate in the relaxation areas.

Here are some more details from 4a Architekten:

New Construction of the “Therme Wien” Spa, Vienna

It’s all about flow

A landscape experience for all the senses – the new Vienna spa offers visitors a varied programme from adventure to relaxation.

Nestling in the spa gardens of Vienna Oberlaa, Austria’s largest spa resort invites visitors to enjoy a special relaxing experience with a varied range of pools, rest areas, gastronomic and beauty facilities.

The driving force behind the design concept of this new spa resort is nature itself: the central motif is a stream that winds and washes through and around stones, becoming sometimes narrower, sometimes wider. 4a Architekten have succeeded in shaping a unique multisensory bathing landscape with this inspiration in mind. The starting point is one of two thermal springs.

The building follows its course in a meandering topographical flow, downwards towards the south, washing over and around individual “theme stones” that project like large river pebbles from the roof landscape. The spa ensemble, which reaches three storeys at its highest point, fits in perfectly with its surroundings, and its sunbathing lawns form a gentle transition between the various outdoor pools and the surrounding park.

Only the health centre, which opened in January, sets a striking signal with its five storeys and dynamic form at the entrance. The visitor enters via the mouth of the stream, where the foyer is located, and follows the path downstream, past the assorted “theme stones” towards the spring itself. The path widens and narrows, surprising the visitor with different scenarios and perspectives, repeatedly arousing his curiosity as to what might be hiding around the next corner.

Bands of light set in places in the flooring relate sympathetically with the motif of the stream. A variety of water attractions create further highlights: sometimes flowing like a gentle curtain down a wall or bubbling and splashing into cascading pools. The path towards the spring first passes the beauty stone, widening towards thermal area 1, tapering towards the gorge between the relaxation and adventure stones, opening again towards thermal bath 2, and finally ending in the sauna landscape.

Each area has a unique atmosphere all of its own. Colour, material and light concepts underline the spatial choreography. The basis for the main area is created by soft shades of white, beige and grey in the form of ceramic tiling and concrete surfaces on the floors and walls. Colourful effects are provided by the ceiling, for which 4a Architekten developed their own four-season colour concept.

Grey vernal shades emphasize the lively character of the foyer and the bright thermal bath 2 in the form of a ceiling mosaic. By contrast, gentler autumnal shades predominate in thermal bath 1, which leads on to the active hall and beauty area. The uniform wooden-strip ceiling below the galleries soothes the eye while simultaneously functioning as an acoustic ceiling that dampens noise from the surrounding area. Shades of summer prevail in the dining areas.

No multiplicity of colours is used in the relaxation stone. Soft cappuccino shades on the walls, a dark wooden floor and a friendly lighting mood create a warm atmosphere in the relaxation areas on the gallery. The same earthy colour scheme also sets the tone for the subjacent relaxation and saltwater pools.

It is only in the grotto pool that dark plaster and similar ceramic tiling create a cave-like atmosphere, reinforced by the subdued and accentuated lighting. Water in all its clarity and vitality awaits the visitor in the adventure stone located opposite. Its turbulent inner life, containing slides, a white-water channel, an adventure pool and a water play park is reflected in the fresh blue and white shades of the ceiling mosaic, inspired by the wintry Polar Sea.

The diving platform with its accompanying pool is reminiscent of a bizarre rocky landscape from which the diving platforms project. There is a lively exchange here between interior and exterior. The scene is completed by the sauna area. Here too, colourfulness and materiality are kept in alignment with users’ requirements. The mixed area on the ground floor is dominated by glass-mosaic tiles in warm earthy shades, the walls being panelled in oak. The women’s area on the upper floor is kept in delicate shades: bright maple panelling, pink glass mosaic and an eggshell-coloured floor. The men’s sauna stands in direct contrast with its dark floor, bright red glass mosaic and dark wood.

The playful handling of space and sensitivity for the user is characteristic of 4a Architekten. Each of the worlds of experience at “Therme Wien” is given the architecture and atmosphere that suits it best, with high, wide, usually two-storey rooms in the livelier areas, and low rooms in the rest areas which convey a feeling of security. Everything is supported individually by light and colour. Visitors are offered the experience of a varied bathing landscape which they can enjoy with all their senses – and which they return to again and again.

Property Details

Location: Therme Wien GmbH & Co KG, Kurbadstrasse 14, A 1100 Vienna

Client: VAMED Standortentwicklung & Engineering
Architect: 4a Architekten GmbH
Matthias Burkart
Alexander von Salmuth
Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns

Andreas Ditschuneit (overall project management)
Torsten Hannig (health centre project management)

Competition Team:
Tanja Otte
Laura Staib
Lâle Gündog

Project Team:
Holger Buchheim
Annette Broos
Barbara Croonenberg
André Georg
Kathrin Hauth
Stephanie Hönn
Izabella Hüttig
Anja Cathrin Maurer
Sibylle Müller
Natascha Ockert
Tanja Otte
Artur Pauli
Marco Petters
Christoph Schäfer
Martin Schweizer
Laura Staib
Konstanze Stosberg

Landscape: 4a Architekten GmbH together with Stötzer-Stötzer
Site supervision: VAMED Standortentwicklung & Engineering
Building physics: Dr. Pfeiler GmbH
Bath water technology: Plankenauer GmbH

Structural planner:
Fischer + Friedrich, Project management Jörg Kazmaier
Toms Ziviltechniker GmbH, Project management, Josef Vock

Subsoil: Garber Dalmatiner and Partner
Interior engineering – sanitary: Firma Ortner
Interior engineering – heating/ventilation
Siemens Bacon GmbH &Co KG
Electrical planning: Siemens ELIN
Lighting design: Philips Licht, Light Design Austria
Kitchen design : Stria
Fire protection: Prüfstelle for Brandschutztechnik
Channel planning: igbk Ziviltechniker GmbH

Planning period 06/2006 until 09/2010
Construction period 10/2007 until 05/2011
Construction costs approx 115 million euro
Gross floor area 64,000 m2
Gross cubic volume 325,000 m3
Water surfaces 3,800 m2

See also:

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Les Bains des Docks by Jean Nouvel	Open Air Pool Eybesfeld by Pichler & Traupmann	Tamina Thermal Baths by Smolenicky & Partner

Shanghai Expo 2010: Here are some photos of the completed Austrian pavilion by Viennese architects SPAN and Zeytinoglu, which opens at Shanghai Expo 2010 this weekend. (more…)

Beautiful work coming from Austria.

Check out his site for more pics and other projects.