In the winter of 2005, St. Magdalena lay under a thick, abstract blanket of snow. Only visible, as if nothing else were there, were the rugged jagged mountains shrouded in mist. Seeking a dialogue with an environment that seemed to determine and shape everything, these detailed mountain shapes were contrasted with reduced houses cast in in-situ concrete as an answer. As a reflection of the rising gravel corridors, the outer walls made of exposed concrete can be seen. The surface was roughened by stonemason-like processing, the rock aggregate was freed from concrete milk and thus exposed again. The gray of the concrete was broken by the minimal addition of paint. The light plays with these surfaces and makes them appear in iridescent beige tones depending on the time of day and mood. The stony appearance is broken up by the lining of all interiors with larch wood cladding. As a hem, this inner wooden shell can be felt again via the large window frames in the outer wall. Following the onion-shaped floor plan with stairs in the centre, the circulation areas in turn experience a stony atmosphere via smooth exposed concrete walls, floors and ceilings.
Source: Burger Rudacs Architekten
[Photos: Paul Ott] (https://www.paul-ott.at/#header)
