Schneider & Lengauer

Description

In order to provide a suitable space for its active cultural life and many associations, the municipality of Kals decided to build an event centre which, in combination with the Gasthaus Ködnitzhof, would also make the town an attractive destination for tourists. The site, surrounded on three sides by a loop in the Kalser Landesstrasse road, was left open after the old town hall and Ködnitzhof dining room were demolished. The distinctive narrow plot between the House of Culture and the rectory has been broadened somewhat for the new building but retains its gate-like function at the entrance to Ködnitz. The new House of Culture is one storey lower than the previous building, so that the neighbouring structures are more visible: the Late Gothic rectory and the Ködnitzhof guest-house, an example of alpine tourism architecture from the 1930s. The steep gabled roof of the new building and its precisely arranged doors and windows relate to the rectory without resorting to facile imitation. The foyer of the House of Culture is set below the access terrace; above it is the Johann Stüdl Hall, with barrier-free access from the road, along with the practice of the local doctor and a day-care centre. The event hall, designed for over 300 visitors, has an extendable stage and can be divided by a mobile partition. The Ködnitzhof restaurant and guest rooms are accessed via the same terrace. On the top floor, a new spa offers overnight guests the perfect spot to relax and recharge.