Architecture Workshop (AW2) has been appointed to design the project in Zermatt, a luxury resort in Zermatt Valley.
Inspired by the nomadic origins of the region’s Walser community, the hotel’s design aims to connect people with nature and celebrate the mountain location. The building façades will be finished with locally-sourced natural materials, such as wood and stone to reflect the rustic and authentic lifestyle of the Walser people.
Views over the mountains are emphasised through the use of large openings and windows throughout the resort. The design plays with light, with natural materials being illuminated to best effect and light filtered to create a sense of retreat and respite.
The hotel is a collection of small buildings connected by roads and tunnels, in order to comply with Zermatt’s planning requirements to strictly limit building size. Zermatt is a car-free village with sustainability and eco-friendly options at the forefront of daily life, and the new hotel will support this approach.
The buildings will have integrated systems that will optimise and minimise energy consumption. A pellet-based heating system has also been incorporated as a sustainable and renewable way of heating the hotel.
The hotel ground floor is expected to include lounge areas, meeting and multifunction rooms, a lounge bar, a main restaurant and a large fireplace which are all positioned to frame the view of the mountains.
Plans for the hotel include an indoor and heated outdoor pool which are connected through a window bringing filtered natural light into the indoor pool. The design uses windows to remove the barrier between indoor and outdoor spaces and uses stone interiors to merge with the natural environment outside.
The restaurant concept draws upon the Walser community tradition of baking bread together in a bi-annual village reunion. The central feature of the restaurant will be the bread oven which will reflect this ancient custom and give the guest a unique local experience.
The chalet plot is located adjacent to the ski slopes and includes the restaurant, bar, fireplace and terrace to enjoy the views as well as an Alpine room for gear store and maintenance.
Construction is expected to begin in the next two years, and the opening is scheduled for 2026.