THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED.

Being invited to develop a master plan for the Döllerer family hotel whose initial business back in 1909 was a butcher shop, and since then they have created a hotel, a restaurant, a traditional ‘Wirtshaus’, and a delicatessen shop, has been exciting. Meeting their son Andreas, a great young guy who was named the “cook of the year” in Austria in 2010 and finally wanted a stage for his so called ‘Cuisine Alpine’ made it the most ambitious project for us to realize so far. Andreas had great ideas, satisfied clients but a kitchen far too small, and nearly no storage, once a small restaurant’s kitchen in the 1960‘s the time had come for massive change so the family decided to do a total makeover and extension of their hotel without losing their roots and traditions.

It‘s very exciting working ‘in between’. Meaning that Golling, where the hotel is located, is neither a big city like nearby Salzburg, or one of the countless alpine ski-resorts in the area. Consideration of the surroundings, the family‘s tradition, and attracting the well-travelled guests from all over Europe became a must in our design approach.

Situated on a market square in a fully enclosed building context all the plots are very narrow and deep letting nearly no daylight into the buildings. Luckily during the last couple of years the family acquired the neighbouring houses on both sides of their hotel.

One of our main design ideas was to bring the missing light and greenery into the hotel. By pulling down one of the old outdated neighbouring houses we opened the facade southwards bringing daylight to nearly all areas of the existing building. Also a garden with terrace for the new restaurant and bar, which is the first in Golling, could be realized in our designs. This has a spectacular view over the rock walls coming down from the mountains behind the market square which are nearly invisible from the street. The new building, related to the local context, is not as deep as the old one was, but offers enough space to house the new ‘Alpine Bar’ on the ground floor, with ten guest rooms and junior suites on the upper floors that have great views over the garden and the castle of Golling.
This new situation allowed us to completely re-organize the ground floor where everything is centred on the ‘table of delicious treats’, an old oak wood monastery table located in the middle of the new hall. Traditionally in the alpine region there has always been a large table where families came together, or invited their friends and neighbours, with the comfort of a warming fire place.

All the main areas like the restaurant, the traditional wirtshaus, the reception area and the bar are connected to each other through this central space, with its very open yet intimate layout, creating more quiet areas and niches, and also meeting points full of life.

Over the past two years we have succeeded in redesigning and redeveloping whilst maintaining the Döllerers family’s soul and traditions. Meeting friends or business partners, chatting with the Döllerers or the neighbours, eating homemade sausages or a five course gourmet menu, relaxing in front of the fireplace or in the garden, enjoying great Austrian wines in the alpine bar, enjoying the spectacular view over the alps from the new spa, spending a weekend in one of the new guestrooms ... Follow us on a walk through the new hotel and see all it has to offer.