The Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz in Innsbruck’s city center offers 48 new rooms and suites as well as a new look, designed by noa* network of architecture.
There are no right angles in sight here. The venerable house in Herzog-Friedrich-Straße, which dates from the 1460s, is a building in Innsbruck’s historic streets whose architecture is inflected with elements from a wide range of historical eras, having undergone constant transformation. Yet the distinct features of each period coalesce in timeless fashion to form a symbiosis of urbanism. In keeping with the rhythm of change over the centuries, the Hotel Weisses Kreuz fits into this pattern.
Not far from the famous Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), the Altstadthotel has always been a popular destination for famous travelers and historical celebrities, among them Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who stayed there as a 13 year old in 1769. The building is narrow and elongated toward the rear. Its front-facing arcade blends with the historical fabric of the city. During the redesign, a loft level was added to the existing six stories, which have been extended while respecting the conservation rules. The new loft is meticulously choreographed: On the one hand, it remains alive to the neighborhood and cityscape by retaining its original slope toward the street-facing front elevation, but at the rear it rises in height and opens up through six glass cubes.
The sixth floor is anchored by a 13-meter-long, custom-made brass table with baroque ornamentation. The table is a multifunctional reception, breakfast buffet, bar, and convivial meeting place in the evening, which is open to non-hotel guests as well. The table is further enhanced by the smoked oak floor, and the brass provides a regal contrast with the warm dark blues of the room. Blue also features in the name of this venue: “Zur blauen Brigitte” [Blue Brigitte], named after one of the building’s two owners. Additionally, it is not only irregular forms that evoke history. Murals discovered during the project tell stories whose authors remain unknown.
Photo: Courtesy of noa* network of architecture