Community Cultural Centre Ischgl

Ischgl is one of the most important winter tourist destinations. During the last 30 years this small village has grown into a big collection of Hotels. But still the village retains a social scence. There are more than 30 clubs very active, possibly as a reaction to the overpowering tourism industry. People are getting together and as a result places, which are not utilized by the tourism business are becoming increasingly important. 2012 the community made the decision to create such a place. In the village center next to the old rectory was the last remaining green area, a meadow for grazing cows. The community wanted a building to define the village identity whilst conforming with the modern Ischgl, but as well retaining the character of the old meadow. The new buildings main user is the music band whilst the old rectory provides rooms for culture clubs. Bellow the meadow runs a tunnel, which allows access for tourists between hotels and ski lifts. On top of the culture center there is the entrance for the elevators accessing this tunnel. The new center had to be build around this un-moveable structure. The center is build into the old meadow. The terrain of the hillside is covering much of the new building. Single elements of the building break through the green surface to bring daylight inside. At the bottom of the meadow the new village square is anchored. Passing over the top of the centre is a small footpath, which connects the village square with the upper part of the village. This square is the central focus of the arrangement. It is bounded by the music pavilion faced by the outside seating area and the glass facade of the building. The band practice room is heart of the building. Internally defined as a wooden box it is burried into the hillside. It's walls are angled relative to each other to support and enhance the acoustic quality of the room. External to this room the wooden latice structure, conveys a strong sense of triangular fields. These fields are mirrored inside by the 500 wooden acoustic panels which are precisely angled to allow for optimal acoustic tuning of the room. Panels that are in front of window surfaces are angled out more to let daylight pass into the room. The boundary of the village square to the south is the external music pavilion. Along the back side of the stage are vertical wooden panels to enhance the acoustics of this space. Opposite to the music pavilion is a rising ramp in form of an outside seating area. The connection to the rectory is via an underground corridor from the new centre. Along with building the culture center was a complete restoration of the old rectory (1763). While cleaning and exposing walls and ceilings back to their original surfaces, very rare wall papers from the baroque period were discovered. To enhance the floors of the old building new staircase and elevator were build.This new structure is intended to merge with the original building through discrete choice of itŽs materials. Due to the topography of the narrow steep sided valley, Ischgl has severe restrictions on building land resources. The underground building concept allows for a usable surface through the landscape on the roof. The old meadow is still notable. The rectory which had not been used for 20+ years could be integrated in the project. The sustainability of the center will be measured by recognizing the reactivity of social life in the village through the multiactivity use of the old in conjunction with the new. 1,579 m2 SITE 2,032 m2