Close to the border with Italy and north of the Bernina Pass in Val Bernina you will come to the idyllic and tranquil mountain village of Pontresina with its 2,200-odd inhabitants. The famous «Rhätische Railway» lines that run through the Albula and Bernina countryside are the highest narrow-gauge railway tracks in Europe and among the steepest adhesion railways in the world. So it is not surprising that the railway lines, over a century old now, are included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Given the mild and dry climate, the region is especially popular among nature-loving tourists and sporty types. Here, they can hike, climb mountains, go walking, biking, skating or play a round of golf. And on hot summer days, holidaymakers can refresh with a dip in one of the mountain lakes or simply go for a walk and enjoy the ever-present view of the summit of Piz Bernina – the highest mountain in the eastern Alps.
On the edge of the large Saratz Park in the center of the village of Pontresina, Stricker Architekten designed the Chalet Alpine Lodge «Chesa al Parc» – with an unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains. On the site of a former 1970s private residence, the six-storey new build takes its cue from its outdated predecessor in terms of size, shape and alignment. The planners respectfully devised a modern variant of the traditional Alpine architectural style, with the lodge clad in refined looking wooden panels. While it has a closed feel to the street, thanks to closely arranged vertical lamellas made of larch, out over the slope the elements are spaced further apart. The partially concealed windows (hardly discernible during the day) are masterfully highlighted at night, by the illuminated rooms behind them.