The "Am
Kaiserstrand" bathhouse in western Austria offers spectacular views of the
Bay of Bregenz, Pfaender Mountain and the foothills of the Swiss Alps. A 42 metre long pier connects the pile structure situated on the eastern
coast of Lake Constance to the recreational zone of the same name on shore. The revitalisation of
the entire complex has also just been completed: the coastal promenade was
extended, new pedestrian and bike paths were laid out, and a historic hotel
complex was refurbished.
The bathhouse is, however, without a doubt,
the highlight. Translated into the contemporary formal vocabulary of
Vorarlberg's architecture, it convincingly continues the typology referred to
as the Swabian Sea tradition. Resting atop the
platform - which is supported by 30 reinforced concrete columns - is a simple,
single-storey structure. It houses a glazed restaurant (whose terrace provides
access to the sundeck), as well as changing rooms, showers and WCs.
The numerous storey-high folding shutters, which constitute the facade's
outermost layer, and the sliding-glass doors behind them allow the building to
be used flexibly; because the bathhouse can be opened up completely, or, on the
other hand, closed
and protected, for example, from inclement weather, a variety of spatial
combinations are possible.
The use of wood,
however, is a constant: the columns and the beams. as well as the horizontal
cladding of the facade, and all
floors - inside and
out - are all of the renewable resource. In a nod to sustainabllity, the architects
worked with untreated silver fir
from nearby forests.
The silver fir, which is exposed to the elements, will weather naturally with
the passage of time.
The energy concept is
also environmentally sound. The bathhouse is equipped with controlled
ventilation and heat-recovery.
During the heating
season, an air-ta-air heat pump pre-warms the incoming air to ensure that the
restaurant space can be quickly brought up to a comfortable temperature.
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