In the Allgäu, in the south of Germany between Ulm and Bregenzerwald, the folk are conservative, at least as far as building is concerned. In the Kleinwalsertal, at 2,070 metres above sea level is the Fiderepasshut, built in 1938: sober, traditional and romantic. Rainer Schmid, an architect from Munich, was given the challenge of extending the hut using modern and contemporary styles, yet showing respect for the original structure.
Klaus Noichl, the representative of the client, the German Alpine Club, was also heavily involved in the project and is also a recognised specialist in Alpine architecture. Together with his wife, Angelika Blüml, he has designed many sensational buildings, in particular cable-car termini in the high Alps.
In Bavaria, as in the Allgäu and the Wetterstein Mountains, heated discussions still take place about even the smallest modernisation of huts, while in Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol, radical, hypermodern, almost futuristic designs have long been realised. The example of the Fiderepasshut in the Allgäu shows that there is a middle-way for high-quality, innovative architecture in the mountains.
This film forms part of a five-episode series about building in the mountains and the challenges that this brings. The architects struggle with difficult terrain and inhospitable weather: snow and heavy rains. In their designs, architects try their best to take all these elements into consideration. The current architects are rediscovering the aesthetics of the original construction designs.
This film will be screened in the Metropolis Filmtheater in Würselen in a single session together with A Shepherd.