Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn

The chapel was built atop rolling moors in Krumbach, Austria. The Salgenreute Chapel is the rebuilding out of wood and stone, of existing 200-year-old Lourdes Chapel, and comprises a nave and an apse.

The Salgenreute chapel redesigned by Austrian practice Bernardo Bader architekten, unites the historical and traditional aspects that characterise many places in the Bregenzerwald, and recently won a Gold Award in the Europe-wide Best Architects 18 competition earlier this year.

It is about relationships with the concrete place and its people, from which the architecture refers its characteristics

Best Architects 18

Description of project by Bernardo Bader architekten

“Dialogue of place and human”

Topographically attractively situated at the Nagelfluhrücken, next to the Krumbacher moor, the existing Lourdes –Chapel was rebuilt. A renovation of the old chapel was no longer possible and to regenerate the existing was not the desired aim of the community of Krumbach. Rather, to use the existing knowledge and the courage to create the new. Several years of designing and constructing made an exemplary project visible. More than a hundred of volunteers made it possible to realize the project.

The chapel Salgenreute unites the historical and traditional aspect that characterizes many places in the Bregenzerwald. The chapel is built out of wood and stone. The sun is going to change the wooden façade – it will turn darker, black in the south, silver-grey in the north, just like the old farmhouses from the area. The basic shape is based on the existing 200 year old chapel and includes a main ship as well as an apse.

The shape of the room is new – an outstanding steep rising spatial folding made out of wood. The inside of the chapel is dominated by the homogeneous material of the wall and the roof. The light that shines through the frontal window is providing a special atmosphere. The statue of mother of God, originated from the existing building, is arranged in an other way than in the classical concepts at the side of the apse. The view straight ahead through the white apse leads directly into the nature. Whoever enters the chapel leaves the solid ground and proceeds a reflective journey.

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Ground floor plan. Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn.

Section. Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn.

Cross section. Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn.

Detail section. Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn.

Models. Kapelle Salgenreute by Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn.

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More information

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Architects

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Bernardo Bader Architects | Dornbirn

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Team

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Joachim Ambrosig, Andreas Rosian, Jomo Zeil | Dornbirn

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Collaborators

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Site manager.- Bernardo Bader Architekten | Dornbirn. Structural engineer.- merz kley partner ZT GmbH | Dornbirn

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Client

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Citizen of Au, Zwing and Salgenreute, Austria

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Area

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40m²

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Structure

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Timber construction with a massive plinth

Bernardo Bader architekten

Bernardo Bader architekten, is an architect from Krumbach (1974), the Austrian region of Bregenzerwald, with the office currently based in Dornbirn, Austria. He studied architecture at the Innsbruck Technical University. After receiving his Diploma Engineer degree in 2001 he founded his own architectural office.

His work investigates how architecture can be embedded in regional building culture and based on local architectural grammar. His projects bear witness to brilliance of handcraft, deep care of tectonic detail and sensitivity to the local context. Bader is Member of Advisory Design Commissions as well as the Advisory Committee for Urban Contemplation in the Region of Vorarlberg.

Since 2012 he has been holding a lecture position at the University of Liechtenstein in Vaduz. Besides a numerous local timber construction and client awards, he received a number of prestigious awards – including the Weissenhof Architectural Furtherance Prize 2007 for young Architects in Stuttgart, Germany and the Piranesi Award 2013 and was nominated for the DETAIL Prize 2012 and the Mies van der Rohe Award 2013.

In 2013 he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

CV Bernardo Bader (1974)

1993 – 2001      Studies of Architecture in Innsbruck
1998 – 1999      Mitarbeit bei Feichtinger Architectes, Paris
2001                 Diplom mit Auszeichnung von der Universität Innsbruck
2003                 Gründet Architekturbüro in Dornbirn
2006                 Staatlich befugter und beeidigter Ziviltechniker
seit 2010          Mitglied Gestaltungsbeirat Gemeinde Zwischenwasser und Gemeinde Andelsbuch
seit 2012          Mitglied Fachbeirat für raumrelevante Fragen, Land Vorarlberg
seit 2012          Dozent am Institut für Architektur und Raumentwicklung, Universität in Liechtenstein

AWARDS (Sel)
2013                 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
2013                 best architect 14 Award – Auszeichnung Öffentliche Bauten
2013                 best architect 14 Award – Auszeichnung Einfamilienhäuser
2012                 Piranesi Award 2012 – 1. Preis
2012                 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Nominierung Mies van der Rohe Award 2013
2012                 Ambiente Award 2012– Gault Millau
2012                 DETAIL Preis – Nominierung zum Preis
2011                 AIT – Alpine Interior Award 2011 – Auszeichnung
2011                 Constructive – Liechtenstein Preis für nachhaltiges Bauen in den Alpen – Preisträger
2010                 Menschengerechtes Bauen 2010 – Auszeichnung
2010                 Häuser Award 2010 – 2 fache Auszeichnung
2009                 best architect award 2010
2008                 Häuser Award 2008 – Auszeichnung
2007                 Weissenhof Architekturförderpreis 2007 – Stuttgart
2003                 Bauweltpreis 2003 – Auszeichnung