Fichtelberg Mountain hut, AFF Architekten
Located on Fichtelberg Mountain in Saxony, close to the German border with the Czech Republic, AFF Architekten's reinterpretation of a traditional mountain refuge provides eating and sleeping facilities for six to eight people. Unostentatious and sparse in terms of aesthetics and functionality, the hut is designed to perform its tasks efficiently, without recourse to modern technologies. The walls and ceilings are cast in concrete, with locally-cut spruce used for the floorboards. Fittings, including lights, washbasins, chairs and switches are made from recycled components. The windows are generously proportioned in order to maximise davlight and natural ventilation.
The refuge's predecessor - a timber structure - was employed as formwork for the new concrete structure, leaving behind a patina of imprinted surfaces. AFF says the act of decoding and discovering the relief-like markings of the former building, which was abandoned to its own fate, is reminiscent of a hunter following tracks in the forest.
