Hotel Schatzalp

Railing Renovation
Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg | Construction Heritage and Preservation
September, 2025

The project focused on the design and realization of new balustrades for the historic Hotel Schatzalp in Davos, originally built as a sanatorium and among the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in Switzerland. The existing wooden railings were structurally degraded and no longer met current safety standards, requiring a replacement system that preserved the building’s distinctive character while ensuring long-term durability. Using computational design and digital fabrication, the original patterns were reinterpreted into a contemporary yet historically sensitive system, resulting in 93 unique balustrades composed of more than 5,300 individual timber elements. The work included coordination, the design of separation wall elements, and the development of detailed construction drawings to ensure consistency between design intent, fabrication logic, and on-site assembly. The balustrades were manufactured locally and assembled using screw connections only, enabling straightforward maintenance, repair, and replacement while supporting sustainable long-term use.

Chair of Construction Heritage and Preservation, ETH Zurich
Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg, Orkun Kasap, Rolf Imseng, Dr. Fabian Kastner, Dr. Jasmin Schäfer

Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich
Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Prof. Matthias Kohler, Dr. Petrus Aejmelaeus-Lindström, Alessandra Gabaglio, Gereon Siévi, Joana Tomaz

Design                                                     Client                                                                        Industry Partners                                                  Photos
Carlos Wilkening                                    Berghotel Schatzalp, Davos                                    Künzli Davos AG, incon.ai                                   Girts Apskalns, Lais Hotz
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