Pfleghaus Anras – March 2022 update: refurbishment and new use

The Pfleghaus in Anras – a 16th/17th-century seat of a Pfleggericht (district court) of the Prince-Bishopric of Brixen, known in the region as “Schloss Anras” – underwent a comprehensive refurbishment between 2019 and 2021, which we accompanied together with the Messerschmitt Stiftung, the municipality of Anras and the Bundesdenkmalamt Tirol (the Austrian Federal Monuments Office, Tyrol department). In March 2022 the project was on the verge of major opening milestones.

The concept follows the principle of modern heritage conservation: preservation of the fabric before alteration, reversible interventions, archaeological and building-archaeological investigations before every planning decision. On completion of the works, the building houses the Anras municipal administration on the first floor, a café and three apartments on the ground floor, and rooms for exhibitions and events on the second floor and in the roof space.

That a monument so defining for the village’s appearance can be used in such a multi-layered way while retaining its character is the result of many years of preparatory work – including building archaeology, securing public funding, and coordination with the Bundesdenkmalamt, the Province, the Messerschmitt Stiftung and the municipality. Today the Pfleghaus is one of our practice’s reference projects in the field of heritage conservation and building archaeology.