Perched between the Zillertal and Pinzgau valleys at an altitude of 1,700 meters, the youth hostel stands as an architectural response to its dramatic alpine setting. Designed to accommodate 450 beds, it is tailored to adventurous youth while maintaining a clear, restrained originality. The design distills architecture to its essentials: offering flexible and dynamic spatial opportunities that foster social interaction. Rising seven stories, the hostel is executed as a solid timber construction, with cross-laminated timber (CLT) forming the primary structural framework for both walls and ceilings. The timber edifice spans an impressive width of 17 meters, a length of 74 meters, and soars to a height of 21.7 meters. A total of 1,840 cubic meters of locally sourced wood was processed, underlining a commitment to regional materials and sustainable construction.

The architectural program is conceived as a three-dimensional spatial composition, reminiscent of a carefully arranged puzzle or a Tetris grid. Within the 7,500 square meters of usable space, sports facilities dominate the concept: a competition-grade gymnasium, climbing and bouldering walls, trampolines, a pump track, an indoor soccer arena, and recreational spaces for table tennis and billiards are seamlessly interwoven into the design. These elements not only provide essential infrastructure for the youth programs but form the energetic heart of the building. A meticulous focus on cost-effectiveness ensures the affordability of youth travel programs, reflecting both practicality and purpose.

At the core of the design is the promenade—a transparent central ramp that anchors the circulation system. It connects the building vertically and horizontally, serving as both a processional path and a spatial link. This "wooden dome" rises to an interior height of 17 meters, offering expansive views and visual permeability. The ramp stitches together the sports zones in the basement with the accommodation on three upper levels, culminating in the attic spaces. Along this axis, differentiated semi-open zones emerge: niches with hammocks, intimate seating areas, and root-inspired tables transform into spectator stands for the climbing walls or ceremonial platforms.

The material palette remains raw and unpretentious, celebrating the inherent beauty of its components. Cross-laminated timber is the predominant material, complemented by exposed sheet metal and unfinished plywood. The deliberate simplicity of surfaces—tactile, rugged, and warm—imbues the hostel with a unique character, often affectionately described as a "supersized pine parlor." Construction waste is thoughtfully reintegrated: leftover plywood becomes bespoke furniture, and pallets from the building phase are repurposed as functional ski racks.

Externally, the structure is clad in larch wood, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into the natural slope and minimizing its visual mass from the approach. The mid-level entry point provides intuitive circulation both upwards and downwards, while the expansive "village square" at the heart of the complex invites communal gathering and hosts evening barbecues. Flanking the main volume, two single-story wings merge into the landscape through green roofs, discreetly distributing arrivals into dedicated reception areas and eight dining halls, creating smaller, organized "base camps" for the various groups.

This youth hostel balances functional ingenuity, spatial clarity, and material honesty—an architectural response that is as rooted in its alpine context as it is in its programmatic ambition.