Internationally renowned architect Hadi Teherani designs the new spa and wellness areas of the 5-star Krallerhof hotel

This inauguration marks the expansion of the range of services and facilities of the luxurious Alpine resort.

It fits harmoniously into the surrounding landscape and offers a space for relaxation and well-being all year round. “ATMOSPHERE” builds on the long tradition of luxury hospitality synonymous with the Hotel Krallerhof, opened by the Altenberger family in 1956. The spectacular hotel deploys innovative Kebony wooden terraces and thus offers a contemporary wellness experience , highlighted by healthy and sustainable architecture.

In 2019, German studio Hadi Teherani was commissioned to develop an extension of the hotel's indoor and outdoor facilities. The work was successfully completed last summer. “I wanted to create a building that was subordinate to this wonderful landscape, while remaining present in its own right,” explains lead architect Hadi Teherani, before continuing: “‘ATMOSPHERE’ provides an experience of calm of a great intensity, especially in the 50 meter long infinity pool, which is integrated into a large natural swimming lake and into the immensity of this unique landscape. »

The Krallerhof spa is located on a slope. It thus remains anchored in the mountainous surroundings, while maintaining minimal visual impact for guests admiring the landscape from the hotel. The heart of the new facility is a 5.500 m2 natural swimming and bathing lake, which accommodates at its center a heated infinity pool with an Olympic size of 50 m. This is surrounded by an open-air solarium, entirely covered in Kebony wood. The wooden terrace extends into a circular path that leads away from the spa building and encompasses the lake, providing multiple unique and relaxing vantage points over the neighboring Steinernes Meer plateau and the Leoganger Steinberge mountain range.

Developed in Norway, Kebony wood is dually modified™ and thus constitutes a building material that is both aesthetic and durable, while being environmentally friendly. Patented Kebony® technology transforms sustainably sourced softwood species, such as pine, to mimic the durability and dimensional stability of tropical hardwoods. In addition to its material and aesthetic qualities, Kebony wood is also resistant to bad weather and the rigors of the European winter. It requires little or no maintenance, which avoids any prolonged closure of the spa for treatment of the terrace.

The use of Kebony wood embodies the eco-responsible ethics of the “ATMOSPHERE” project. This ethic is evident in the creation of a new plant belt within the lake, which uses the excavated materials to form the new Zen garden and thus promotes local biodiversity, fauna and flora. As an additional innovation, the infinity pool is heated by a biomass power plant, which uses wood chips from a construction company located just 200 meters from the hotel.

After circling the lake, the wooden path enters the main complex through a plunging glass façade that seamlessly connects the tranquility of the outdoors with the world-renowned range of treatments offered by Hotel Krallerhof. The new facilities include an ice cave, a “blue cave”, an “infrasalt” area with white Himalayan salt, a Finnish “amphi-sauna” and a café. Each location offers guests a holistic selection of relaxation experiences, alongside the hotel's program of wellness activities, including yoga and Ayurveda. Locally produced wood and glass adorn the exposed concrete walls of the building's interior, while bespoke furniture carved from Alpine marble – also local – completes the luxurious and eco-friendly vision of this new project.

For Nina Landbø, International Sales Director for Kebony: ““ATMOSPHERE” by Krallerhof Spa and Hadi Teherani Architects is one of the largest applications of Kebony wooden decking in the world. This successful project demonstrates that a modern hospitality facility can be achieved on a large scale, while remaining anchored in its natural environment, thus offering a unique and high-quality relaxation experience. »