Overview
We cannot help thinking how a building is constructed in such a place which seems so forlorn and isolated at the first sight of the picture. Does anybody really live there? The answer YES might come across as a bit shocked, but that’s where this world gets particularly interesting. It is for adventurers!!! This week let us explore the world of stainless steel through the case of the New Tracuit Mountain Hut.
The New Tracuit Mountain Hut
The New Tracuit Mountain Hut is a hut built for mountain climbers in the heart of the Valaisan Alps at Tracuit, Ayer, Switzerland. Sitting 3256 meters high above sea level on a rocky ridge in the Swiss alps, the hut is strategically positioned to be the superb starting point for climbing the Bishorn, the Weisshorn, and the Tete de Milon.
The New Tracuit Mountain Hut is owned by the Chaussy sector of the Swiss Apine Club, equipped with 116 beds (amounting to 1920m3), refectory, professional kitchen and techniques (Savioz Fabrizzi 2015). Apart from the perfect location for the expeditions, the hut can also provide its guests 360 degrees of breathtaking mountain views nowhere else can compare.
The Background Information
The New Tracuit Mountain Hut as what we see was constructed during 2012 and 2013, from a competition held by the Club in September 2008. It was a brand-new hut built on the site of the old demolished one.
The origin can be traced back to 1929 when the hut was initially built. Over the years, it went through several rounds of expansions for accommodating the constantly increasing number of guests in a comfortable way.
It wasn’t until when the lodging requirements for health and safety, staffing, facilities and environment protection made building a new one even more cost effective than further enlarging and refurbishing the existing one, the project of the New Tracuit Mountain Hut was born. It would also allow the Club to capitalize on the opportunity to choose a design and professional team through an architecture competition.
The Design of The New Tracuit Mountain Hut
The Swiss firm Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes, designed and built the New Tracuit Mountain Hut as the winner of the competition. "The nature of the site, between a cliff and a glacier, defined the position and shape of the new hut, which is constructed along the ridge above the cliff, fitting in with the site's topography," said the architects (Amy Frearson 2014).
The hut is a shiny stainless steel cabin glistening under the sun, a modern and stunning look easy to capture the eyes of the adventurers. The facades of the hut are made from stainless steel panels that form three of the hut’s facades and one solar panel wall on the south side. The whole of structural frame and the interior are mainly of wood. Details are as below.
- The three of the hut’s facades includes the east, west and north are made from stainless steel with limited openings so as to 1) reflect the surrounding landscape; 2) to reduce heat loss meanwhile provide optimal natural ventilation (the compact shape and superior insulation also help); 3) to protect the roof and outer walls from the adverse climate conditions; 4) help prevent mould growth during the annual months when the lodgings are closed for the season.
- The southern façade alone is covered with solar panels and large windows as it is the side that extends from the cliff so as to 1) take advantage of solar heat 2) to generate clean power.
- The wood is largely used, both as the structural frame and also most everywhere inside the hut. The reason is that transporting concreate is super expensive in such a place, which limits its use only to individual footings. Instead, studs/beams, insulation and cladding work in place.
Stainless Steel Applied into The New Tracuit Mountain Hut
Stainless steel panels are clad the east, west and north elevations. These stainless steel panels are not dull mill finish, but instead processed into corrugated finish to enhance aesthetic appeals. The corrugated finish glints under the sky with a modern look meanwhile giving a distorted reflection of the natural surroundings. It was a stunning view on its own.
Due to the high altitude, the construction materials have to be quite selective to adapt the cold and occasional harsh weather. Meanwhile it also poses challenges to transportation. Stainless steel is chosen for it can not only meet the desired functions but also enhance the hut appearance in a modern way. These stainless steel panels, as well as the other construction materials as above mentioned were all prefabricated in the factory and transported by helicopter for on-site assembly. Even so, everything worked out flawlessly as expected.
Stainless Steel from China, CIVMATS
If you are looking for stainless steel materials from China, whether for stainless steel sheets which can be readily processed into stainless steel panels clad on buildings as in this case, or for
stainless steel long products like,
- stainless steel bars of varied shapes (round, flat, square, hex, angle, beam)
- stainless steel tube pipes & fittings
- stainless steel wires & ropes
Welcome to CIVMATS! Grade, finish, dimension and other stainless steel technical data can be customized per your exact requirements. choose CIVMATS, choose safety and reliability!
