Moments Tirol

To tell this story in spatial terms, the idea emerged to create a place that introduces this diversity to both locals and visitors—offering a stage for culinary and non-food products from the brand and selected Tyrolean producers, alongside regional artists from various disciplines.

The chosen location for this café/bar/concept store hybrid is Burggraben in Innsbruck—closely linked to the tourist-oriented old town, yet sufficiently set apart to also attract a local audience.

The task was to make the entirety of Tyrol spatially perceptible—not as a literal representation, but as an interpretation of its layered identity. A direct translation through familiar symbols seemed counterproductive. Architecturally, we cannot make a country, a community, a mountain, or a city directly tangible; we can, however, convey and reference their stories and experiences.

The project draws on both personal and collective associations: the scent of dry grass on sunlit alpine meadows, the rough surface of a hut bench, warmth from a tiled stove, but also urban density, movement, and a sense of vitality in Innsbruck—such as in the bustle of the Bögenfest or on the town square. These tensions form the conceptual basis of the design. Authenticity is not achieved through literal depiction but through materiality, construction, and attention to detail.

At the center of the space stands a “rock wall” made of colored precast concrete panels. Varying hues and surface textures abstract the geological layers of Tirol, translating them into an architectural relief. The shadow gaps between the panels are not only structural but also function as an integrated system for exhibitions and lighting. In this way, the wall becomes a carrier of changing content.

This motif continues in the bar and cashier furniture, whose pillars are made from the same concrete panels. Red supports reference to the historic scrubbing stones of Innsbruck’s old town, connecting to Höttinger Breccia as a locally sourced material. These references remain deliberately fragmentary, embedded rather than displayed.

Another defining feature consists of three fields of vertically suspended larch shingles. They reference the vernacular architecture of the Alpine region, simultaneously mitigating the four-meter-high hall effect and structuring the space into zones. The shingles serve as both atmospheric and spatial elements.

A distinct accent is the so-called Pulse Wall—a solid wood slat wall abstractly mapping the Inn Valley, understood as an identity-defining element of the Tirol brand. It reflects the region’s topographical and cultural spectrum.

The ensemble is further complemented by a fully red-painted room, a deliberately contrasting space that hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and traditional craftsmanship. Even in smaller details—consoles, lighting, or tables—the interplay of dualities is expressed.

The project is located in a reinforced concrete skeleton building designed by Henke und Schreieck Architects. The building’s technical installations meet current energy standards, including a heat pump with a deep borehole, underfloor heating, and thermally activated ceilings. The polished screed floor supports the restrained material palette and enables efficient implementation.

The approximately 250 m² space is organized through these interventions without being divided into rigid zones. Individual functions remain legible, yet they emerge organically from a cohesive spatial composition shaped by materiality, construction, and memory.