Mountain Chapel Schaufeljoch by ao Architects

Andreas Orgler was also involved in extreme alpinism in addition to leading an architectural studio. Since the early 1980s, he has made several first ascents in his home Stubai Alps with a difficulty level of VIII. Since 2000, he has been dedicated to flying, which ultimately became fatal for him during a long-distance flight over Australia.
The chapel located at the ridge in the area of the Schaufeljoch mountain station, at an altitude of over 3000 meters above sea level, was created in honor of the Tyrolean patriot Dr. Heinrich Klier, who advocated for winter tourism in the Stubai Glacier area. The simple chapel made of steel and exposed concrete is intended for quiet contemplation in an otherwise busy ski area. The chapel, which was completed two months ago, is located approximately 45 minutes' drive from Innsbruck at an altitude of 3170 meters. The building balances, much like Top of Tyrol, right on the mountain ridge. Access is made easier by a cable car, whose mountain station is just a five-minute walk from the chapel. The architects left the pair of opposite walls open to preserve the view of the breathtaking mountain panorama. In contrast, the massive masonry walls shield the noise coming from the surrounding ski slopes. The architects did not feel the need to experiment too much with the form and sufficed with a basic shape and rough materials that best match the local environment. With similar simplicity, the authors also managed the interior, which is dominated by a wall cross, a shallow niche, and a concrete bench.