A two-story contemporary Alpine building with a full facade of locally sourced natural stone and a simple gabled roof, set against rugged mountains. Large windows on the upper floor frame the view.

Vergalderie Project Explores Local Materials in Alpine Architecture

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Massing Composition and Topographical Integration

Situated at an altitude of 1,530 meters above sea level in the mountain village of Gargellen, the Vergalderie project takes the form of a tranquil architectural volume that harmonizes with the natural landscape of the Montafon Valley. This approach is expressed through a simple gable roof that reinterprets the local architectural vernacular in a contemporary, minimalist language, allowing the building to derive its presence from its proportional relationship with the site’s topography rather than from monumental massing. The restrained exterior envelope further reinforces the composition, presenting the building as a natural extension of the surrounding Alpine environment.

Spatial Relationship Between Art and Living

The project combines three holiday apartments for short-term accommodation with a central gallery dedicated to contemporary art, establishing a balance between residential function and cultural engagement. The gallery serves as the organizational core of the interior, linking the various programmatic functions while reflecting the owners’ vision of integrating mountain tourism with contemporary art into a unified spatial experience.

A contemporary loft-style kitchen and dining area under a steep, light-wood gabled ceiling. A minimalist stainless steel kitchen island sits in front of a black backsplash, under a geometric metal ceiling grate. A large window on the left overlooks a pine forest and a traditional wooden Alpine building. A dining table and chairs are in the foreground.
Modernity is interwoven with local identity through the use of natural, breathing materials like ash wood floors and lime plaster. (Image © Gustav Willeit)
Wide interior view of a double-height contemporary art gallery with polished concrete floors and white walls. Sculptures are displayed on various plinths. A large lower window looks out to a garden, and three square upper windows frame mountain peaks.
The central contemporary art gallery serves as the heart of the Vergalden project, connecting cultural program with residential use. (Image © Gustav Willeit)
Detail view of a wooden-decked balcony on a contemporary Alpine house. It features a modern, perforated red lounge chair. The surrounding facade is massive stone. Beyond a metal cable railing is a dry meadow with distant mountains and pine forest.
The private outdoor spaces provide tactile comfort with wooden decking and direct physical engagement with the landscape. (Image © Gustav Willeit)
Close-up detail of the facade showing multi-colored, hand-picked natural stones set in thick mortar, above a smooth, exposed concrete lintel. Below, a white, modern metal perforated staircase sits next to a large-grain wooden door.
A textural dialogue between the rough, irregular texture of locally collected stone and the precise edges of modern materials like concrete, steel, and wood. (Image © Gustav Willeit)

Construction with Local Materials and Sense of Place

The project relies on locally sourced materials to strengthen its connection with the site. The façades are clad in stones collected over several years from naturally eroded areas throughout the Montafon region, while the roof is constructed using locally harvested spruce timber. This material composition gives the building a presence deeply rooted in the Alpine landscape, where the solidity of stone is complemented by the warmth of wood, reinforcing the enduring relationship between architecture and nature.

Architectural Reference to Alpine Shelters

The architectural language draws inspiration from the mountain shelters scattered throughout the high Alpine regions and traditionally used by skiers during their journeys. However, this reference is reinterpreted through the use of natural stone as the project’s primary construction material. This strategy is particularly significant in the Montafon Valley, where stone construction is not the prevailing building tradition and where no active quarries exist. As a result, the careful collection and reuse of locally sourced stones become a defining element of the project’s architectural identity.

Architectural floor plan of the first floor (labeled E+1). It shows two residential units (Apartments 2 and 3) mirroring each other on either side of a central, open gallery void. Each unit includes bedrooms and a main living/kitchen area.
The E+1 plan reveals the “open unit” concept, where functions are defined by furniture elements (like the self-contained bathroom pods) within a continuous space.
Architectural floor plan of the ground floor (labeled E+0), showing thick, hatched external walls. It includes a reception desk, a central void over the lower gallery, a ski room, and one residential unit (Apartment 1) with bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/living area.
The ground floor plan shows the critical 80cm thick stone walls and the dual functionality of residential and reception spaces.

Spatial Fluidity and Material Enclosure

The upper-floor apartments are conceived as open-plan living environments in which the bathroom appears as a freestanding object resembling a piece of furniture, allowing the dwelling to be experienced as a continuous spatial volume. Deeply recessed openings within the exterior walls, exceeding 80 centimeters in thickness, frame the surrounding landscape while introducing abundant natural daylight into the interiors. The entire interior relies on breathable natural materials, including rough-sawn white spruce for the walls and ceilings, elm timber flooring, and a thick layer of lime plaster that helps regulate indoor humidity.

Cultural Interaction Within the Building

The art gallery forms the project’s shared heart and is dedicated to exhibiting the works of Vorarlberg sculptor Herbert Albrecht. Beyond functioning as an exhibition venue, it also serves as a reception and social gathering space where residents and visitors interact, strengthening the integration of the residential program with the cultural dimension that defines the project.

Interior of a modern living room under a sloping light-wood ceiling. A deep-pile magenta sofa faces a large window framing cows grazing in a green meadow with distant mountains. A modern abstract painting hangs above the sofa.
Apartments are designed as open units where furniture, like the self-contained bathroom pod or the sofa, defines spatial zones. (Image © Gustav Willeit)
Symmetrical view of a modern kitchen unit featuring a sleek stainless steel island and black backsplash. The entire space, including the low platform leading up to the kitchen, is clad in wide-plank, light ash wood. A small, square window is on the left, and a surrealist portrait painting hangs on the right.
The material palette of the interiors aims for regulation of indoor humidity through breathable, natural finishes. (Image © Gustav Willeit)
Evening view showing a large, illuminated square window on a rough natural stone wall. The interior shows a dining table and artwork. Dark, pine-covered slopes and a rugged mountain range are visible behind the house.
Deeply recessed openings within the 80cm thick stone walls act as frames for the Alpine panorama and provide soft, warm interior light at dusk. (Image © Gustav Willeit)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Vergalderie project redefines mountain hospitality as a practice rooted in material continuity and a profound sense of place rather than visual spectacle. Through the use of locally sourced stone and natural timber, the project connects temporary accommodation with contemporary art within a spatial experience that views architectural value as emerging from the integration of landscape, construction methods, and cultural programming rather than formal expression. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing architectural discourse surrounding building materials and architecture.

Nevertheless, this approach may embody a degree of idealism. The reliance on locally collected stone and highly specialized craftsmanship limits the model’s scalability and broader economic feasibility. Architectural authenticity cannot be measured solely by the origin of materials, but also by the capacity of such solutions to remain sustainable and adaptable beyond the unique conditions of the Alpine setting and clients with exceptional resources. Similar discussions can be explored through Research, Projects, Buildings, and Discussion.

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Editorial Team: Mustafa & Rajy Khabazi.

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