A hotel should offer greater comfort than a home. However, 50 years after it was built, the
Waldhaus closed its doors, having become obsolete in terms of its function in tourist facilities.
For the past eight years, the building has been successfully used as temporary accommodation
and faced with the constant development of housing in the city, the question arises:
How can the Waldhaus be transformed into a long-term housing development, while making the
most of the qualities of the former hotel?
The rigid, repetitive structure of the Waldhaus reflects the need for individuality that is typical of
hotels. The rooms, uniformly laid out and decorated to appeal to the widest possible audience
since the 1970s, underwent few renovations until its closure in 2016.
The project proposes targeted interventions to rethink living at the Waldhaus, reassessing the
proportions between private and communal spaces, and integrating kitchen and laundry areas.
It explores the cluster typology, making it possible to live alone but with others, potentially
between different generations and family configurations. These interventions aim to reconcile
the 1970s structure with contemporary demands for residential comfort.
The new Waldhaus is envisioned as an ensemble, integrating on the ground floor various
communal spaces dedicated to the community, as well as public spaces aiming to embed in the
neighbourhood.
