Arrebol Patagonia Hotel / Harald Opitz

http://www.archdaily.com/2601/arrebol-patagonia-hotel-harald-opitz

Architects Harald Opitz

Location - Cond Los Castaos, Puerto Varas, Los Lagos, Chile
Architect - Harald Opitz
Structure - Engineer Jose Torres Herrera
Contractor - Inmobiliaria Cielos del Sur Ltda
Materials - Wood, Steel & Concrete
Area - 14000.0 sqm
Project Year 2008

Young chilean architect Harald Opitz shared with us this impressive hotel located in the deep
chilean south, that uses local wood for its skin, made in part of sticks.
THE PLACE
The arrebol hotel is placed on the south-east border of Llanquihue lake, in the city of Puerto
Varas. It is located in a 14.000 mt2 of forest area, with native trees, lagoons and four
centenary trees. Also, this area, is completely irregular, because of the shrubbery, ravines and
little rivers. By the other hand, the entire hotel looks to the city and the lake.
THE LOCATION
The hotel is built on the border of the superior area of the forest. In front of, this you can find a
big slope and also the best view of the city, lake and horizon. There you can see too, the four
trees that inspired the arquitecture and distribution of the volumes of the hotel.
THE DECISIONS
The project of the hotel, was developed under two fundamental decisions, the first one was
getting a rural way located on the superior border of the area (which was used for carrying
wood by the owners of the area). This decision allowed the release of the forest and the
creation of the project 10 mt before the slope. The second decision was to develop the
volumes of the hotel on this rural way and locating the views to the city and the lake.
THE PROGRAM
The bulding is composed by two volumes, a private one and a public one. The private volume,
is located on the top of the area, and has two floors with guest rooms and a entrance hall that
is projected out in a panoramic terrace. The public volume is connected to the private one by
the entrance hall, and it contains the hotel bar and restaurant and the meeting room.
CONSTRUCTIVE ISSUES
The hotel is built, by two principal materials, steel and reinforced concrete. For isolating
noises, the constructive mechanism used, was a double wall with aerated concrete. Then, the
slabs were constructed with composite slab and the finishing of the pave is made by Polished
concrete. Another constructive details are the windows, because these are made of Raul
(native tree), but the most innovative detail is the heating that works with geo thermic energy.
THE MATERIAL

The project recognize the elements of the region and they are incorporated to the hotel
design. That's why you may see a wooden panelling outside and inside the building. To cover
the inside and the outside of the building, they were used alerce (native tree) fences, they
were cut like little bricks of 30x3cm, and they were put together. The idea of this paneling
was, to let get older the wood and watch how the weather affects them.
To create the external fence, they were used native woods. This fence begins on the first floor
terrace and ends forming a terrace that is the continuation of the entrance hall. By the south
side of the building, and for covering it, they were used native sticks. These ones were picked
in the surrounding areas to the hotel and they were put together by craftsman. So, this
paneling was inspired on the Chilo fences.
http://www.archdaily.com/2601/arrebol-patagonia-hotel-harald-opitz