Hotel Schatzalp

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.