The regional sections of the Swiss Alpine Club possess a rich heritage of mountain huts offering simple accommodation in the country’s unique alpine environment. The foregoing applies to the Rambert Hut, located 2580 metres above sea level on the Tour des Muverans trail. The hut was built during the 1950s according to a traditional design, its volumes surmounted by a dual-pitched roof which is perpendicular to the slope, its stone walls sporting windows with shutters painted red and white.
The poor condition of the building was out of sync with the growing affluence of its visitors. Moreover, the hut was far from compliant with the latest environmental, hygiene, safety and energy self-sufficiency standards.
The intervention consisted of a remodelling of the major spaces, dining area and dormitories in the old hut to preserve its substance, and an extension to house all the functions it lacked. The timber-framed, wood-floored enlargement comprises volumes on three levels and calls to mind a compact, functional rucksack housing the hut’s administrative functions, fuel store, sanitary facilities and private quarters of the warden.
Its volumes are marked by the inverted angle of the parapet, which is in response to the movement of the existing roof. The two roofs, every façade of the extension, and the doors and shutters, are clad in profiled and polished stainless steel sheeting. The new annex also sports thermal and photovoltaic solar panels in support of the hut’s energy self-sufficiency. The contextual choice of materials and construction principles were dictated by the twin imperatives of helicopter-only transport at high altitude and climatic extremes.
The dining area offers enhanced views of the alpine panorama thanks to the creation of a large horizontal window, obtained by merging three small existing windows – the sole modern intervention to affect the appearance of the stone façades.

Photographer: Diogo Marques

Credits:
- Photographer - Diogo Marques