Hotel Schatzalp Is Being Renovated With Digital Technology

(CONNECT) The Hotel Schatzalp in Davos, which opened in 1900 as a luxury sanatorium, has been given a new façade with the support of architecture researchers from ETH Zurich. It was built with digital aids. According to a statement from ETH, the contract for implementation was awarded to the local timber construction company Künzli Davos AG and Instructive Construction AG (Incon.ai), which specializes in augmented reality technology. Incon.ai is a spin-off of the ETH and is based in the Technopark Zurich.

The designs for the reinterpretation were developed by a team led by architecture professors Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler at the ETH Department of Architecture. The task for the architectural researchers was to preserve the appearance and integrate digital technologies into traditional craftsmanship and operational processes. "Based on the design logic of the old, we have reinterpreted the balustrades," Fabio Gramazio is quoted as saying.

Matthias Kohler sees this as a "fundamental change in the way we build". The digital model replaces the double meter in classic construction methods. The digital model created using augmented reality simplifies planning for tradespeople and allows them to use their dexterity and intuition. As Kohler emphasizes, humans remain in control of the process.

The wooden balustrades on the building were outdated and no longer met today's safety standards, according to the statement. In addition, the typical appearance of the Schatzalp with the loggias attached to the south façade had been impaired by numerous changes. ce/heg