In Germania, il lago Chiemsee è soprannominato il Mare Bavarese, per le sue dimensioni e per le maree. Lì vanno in scena tramonti poetici – i più belli della regione, dicono – e la natura dipinge di verde l’orizzonte. Il Chiemgauhof – Lakeside Retreat, hotel di 28 camere e suite affacciate sul lago e le montagne, si trova in un angolo appartato di quella cartolina che è stata dichiarata area naturale.
It was designed by the studio Matteo Thun & Partners, inspired, as the name suggests, by the ancient idea of the Chiemgauhof: a German word that combines the name of the Chiemgau region with that of a farm, or courtyard (“hof”).
The focal point of the project is the dialogue between the genius loci and contemporary design, between traditional Bavarian materials such as brushed larch and fir wood, juxtaposed with natural elements such as glass, marble, and stones, and the elegant and minimalist aesthetic repeated in each of the three buildings: the main building and the two wings/outbuildings intended for the rooms. Connected to the hall through gardens, patios, and sliding glass doors, the rooms are characterized by personalized design and some nods to the past, such as the majolica-covered fireplaces and the inlaid wooden doors (the bathtubs in front of the bathroom windows are also made of wood, to emphasize the relaxation effect). The lounge and reception areas also offer citations: a stove covered with handcrafted tiles infuses warmth, matching the Bavarian-decorated carpets made with recycled materials. The dining room recalls, while updating it, the atmosphere of the old stube, while in the bar, oriental-inspired chandeliers illuminate dark wood tables and other custom-made furnishings.
Because for Thun, inspiration knows no boundaries, and while this architecture as a whole has a “contemporary Bavarian” soul, in the Bootshaus, the wooden pavilion on the pier, other suggestions are breathed. «It is a relaxation space with a large dark metal and stone fireplace, a bar, and a tea room. Here, Bavaria meets Japan through the play of light at dawn and dusk, and the design details and fabrics recall the “culture of lanterns”».
The aesthetic mood, the continuous search for dialogue between tradition and modernity (and different and distant worlds), do not neglect a concept of conscious hospitality: in addition to the strategic orientation of the three buildings, heating with biomass pellets and photovoltaic panels camouflaged among the shingles of the roof reduce the energy impact, enhancing the ecological footprint of the project.
«We have translated the charm of the old wooden barns into the here and now, with time nature will do the rest, giving the hotel a splendid patina», concludes the architect. If the elegance of the retreat is palpable immediately, for the “patina” we can only wait.
