A world first: 5-storey hotel made of PEFC-certified timber opened in Austria
PEFC-certified glued laminated timber and cross laminated timber were used for the entire supporting structure. The wood used for the furniture, doors, floors and decoration gives the rooms a warm atmosphere and a natural scent.
A world first: 5-storey hotel made of PEFC-certified timber opened in Austria
20 August 2020 Sustainable construction
The vision to build a hotel entirely of wood has become a reality in the 5* Green Spa Hotel MalisGarten. The hotel opened in June in the Zillertal valley in Austria.
MalisGarten is the world’s first 5-storey hotel made entirely of solid wood.
PEFC-certified glued laminated timber (binderholz glulam) and cross laminated timber (binderholz CLT BBS) supplied by Binderholz Bausysteme GmbH were used for the entire supporting structure.
The inside of the building sees binderholz solid wood panels and profiled wood from native trees such as pine, nut, steamed spruce, larch and white fir.
The doors, furniture and parquet floors are made of walnut and oak wood from local producers.
Wood was also used for the furniture and decoration in the hotel’s spacious lobby, and gives the rooms a warm atmosphere as well as a natural scent.
The Italian star architect Matteo Thun from Matteo Thun & Partners who planned MalisGarten especially appreciates the material’s unique versatility.
"Wood is the only material I know of that combines aesthetics and technical durability," he highlighted.
Extraordinary inside and out
Not only the inside, also the building’s wooden exterior façade is eye-catching. The front of the hotel blends in with its garden, creating a natural oasis in the middle of the village.
At the back of the hotel, there is a 2,000 m² space with relaxation areas, a fruit and herb garden and a large pool. The wooden walls and ceilings give the impression of a wellness landscape in the middle of a forest.
Sustainability at its finest
The use of PEFC-certified solid wood and a sophisticated heating and cooling concept using geothermal energy and pellet heating make MalisGarten one of the most sustainable hotels in the area.
Thanks to the use of wood, the hotel has a larger net usable area due to leaner construction, and lower energy costs due to the wood’s natural insulation properties.
Wood stores CO2 throughout its life cycle. In MalisGarten, more than 1,500 tons of CO2 are stored in the solid wood elements. Solid wood structures can be prefabricated and assembled on site, allowing for a quiet, clean and fast construction.
Woods such as fir, spruce or pine give a room a warm atmosphere and have a calming effect on the mind and body, making wood the perfect material in every respect for Green Spa Hotel MalisGarten.
Photo credits: ZillerSeasons