The town hall of the Tyrolean city of Kufstein, located on the banks of the Inn River on the border with Germany, is an architectural monument, like many other local buildings. Kufstein is famous, first of all, for its medieval castle, located on a natural hill, under which the old town is spread.
The main objective of the renovation project was to expand the interior spaces of two interconnected buildings while preserving the historic façade. The complex consists of a section of the historic city wall, in which the premises of the center for work with the population are located, and the building of the town hall itself. An important part of the assignment was to optimize the workspace for city officials and make the listed building accessible to people with disabilities.
The new entrance for the public now "floats" freely inside the old arch in the city wall, inscribed in its glass ceiling. A third floor has been added to the town hall, located above the roof-terrace of the fortress wall. From the street, it looks like a kind of Spanish collar, glowing "corrugation".
In the interiors, the authors used mainly three materials: wood, light stone and glass. The ascetic decoration of the premises recalls the interiors of ancient castles: the floors and some structural elements are sheathed with wide planks, and in the new conference hall you can find a dark wood coffered ceiling.
The architects organically connected the historical and new premises with a staircase with spectacular spans: from here you can get to the ancient hall with Gothic vaults, and to the modern top floor.
