Hofgarten Café

No other place lends the city of Innsbruck such an urban, sophisticated flair as its Hofgarten. Unobtrusive yet self-assured, the new Hofgartencafé fits into this historic fabric. Existing design elements of the Hofgarten – its organic formal language, water surfaces and planting – are taken up and deliberately integrated into the design. The building merges with its surroundings and fits seamlessly into them.

The historically valuable fabric remains largely untouched. The existing openings in the wall are integrated into the design as access points. The building is compact without losing any of its generosity.

Embedded in the natural and cultural monument of the Hofgarten, the transparent Hofgartencafé with its surrounding outdoor area is a representative of its time, both in design and in materials. At the same time, however, it refers to past architectural gems of Innsbruck such as the former Café Greiff by Lois Welzenbacher and the old Stadtsälecafé by Franz Baumann, once located in the immediate vicinity of the Hofgarten. These served as social meeting places in Innsbruck. The Hofgarten pavilion can fill the gap they left behind.

In terms of design, the scheme can be reduced to a few striking elements:

The roof of the pavilion provides protection from the weather and serves as a defining design element of the scheme. From outside, the roof appears to float above the façade, which reflects the greenery of the Hofgarten.

The compact core brings together offices, the kitchen, the drinks store, an additional cold store and the circulation core. The generous surrounding guest area can be subdivided and shaded as required by curtain elements.

The transparent “outer skin”, which makes a stay in the Hofgartencafé/bar an unforgettable experience at any time of year. The surrounding, “360°” arrangement of the seating turns virtually every seat inside the café into a window seat and makes the impressions of the Hofgarten natural monument directly tangible indoors as well.

The enclosed outdoor area surrounding the pavilion to the west, south and east offers both exposed seating facing the garden and a more sheltered setting along the existing Hofgarten wall.