Bayreuth Youth Hostel, in Germany

LAVA’s design is a yardstick for the sports hostel of the future through innovative spatial configurations, sustainability at environmental, and structural and social levels, and integrated sporting facilities. LAVA chose the ‘Y’ shape, because it generates a connective and beautiful central space offering expansive views and multiple openings to the sport
fields and gardens. The central atrium is a hub for offline and online entertainment, interaction and communication. Here, a skylight provides natural daylight to a central amphitheatre that connects the different levels, whilst horizontal and diagonal sightlines direct guests to different building functions. Reception, seminar rooms, bistro, kitchen, seminar rooms, sports and game facilities are spread out over two floors and connected to each other via the central atrium.

It’s all about intelligent organisation, making it easy to find things, connect, socialise, creating a stage for individual and group activities. It may be budget accommodation but this integrated concept goes beyond the hostel motto ‘experience community’ to ‘experience the unexpected’ – its not like the hostel we know! Other key features include:
• Room walls are highly flexible with contemporary modular ‘built-in furniture’ elements accommodating washrooms and bed niches.
• Wood, concrete floors and ceilings create an industrial robustness with brightly coloured yellow infills and strong graphics.
• A whole wheelchair basketball team can stay here! It’s the prototype of a barrier-free building, with rooms, grounds and sports fields all wheelchair accessible.

The city of Bayreuth chose the Bavarian Youth Hostel Association and LAVA’s design for the new 180-bed hostel, following LAVA’s successful remodelling of their 1930s Berchtesgaden, Germany’s first designer hostel. Bayreuth caters for active and sports guests. Construction starts in early 2015.