The mountain station of the Mayrhofner Horbergbahn is picturesquely placed at a height of 1.700m above sea level and functions as a high-capacity feeder lift for the Schwendau-Penken skiing area. The elegant and understated building, with its all-glass front sides, doesn’t let show that it’s based on the old, re-shaped building structure from the 1960s.
Initially, only the restaurant area (originally set in the base of the station) was planned to be converted. Instead though, the architects succeeded in developing a comprehensive new spatial structure, which does not only benefit the functional aspects of the mountain station, but also manages to bring the architectural quality of the building to a whole new level.
The arrival hall was divided lengthwise to accommodate the cable car station (two thirds of the hall) as well as the newly constructed restaurant area (one third of the hall), which is now easily accessible on the same level. As an additional benefit, this new setting provides plenty of room in the base of the station for workshops, garages, service areas, snow groomers, etc.
