Pedevilla Architects

Description

The new fire station is located in the eastern part of the Hochpustertal valley at 1,130 meters above sea level. The elongated two-storey building follows the line of the main road while also forming generous outdoor spaces: an area for club gatherings on the upper level and a training area on the lower level, which connects to the vehicle depot. The sheltered outdoor staircase turns the building into a link between the two areas. The separation between the two different levels makes it easy to partition the facility when the hall is used for external events. The building was given a rosy tint that lends it a distinctive presence. All surfaces are made of pigmented concrete, a strategy designed to reinforce the building’s monolithic character. Brown-tinted windows have been used to protect against the strong rays of the sun in the valley. As a contrast to the massive concrete, the »hall«, which also serves as a meeting place for the inhabitants of Vierschach, is panelled in stone pine and other native timber. A special feature of this project is the high degree of pre-fabrication of the building shell. The outer surfaces were hydrophobically finished and then repolished. Irregularities in the concrete only add to the material’s appeal. Artificial expanded clay aggregates were added to the structural lightweight concrete to make it thermally insulating, eliminating the need for further insulation.