Boutique Design - Spring 2021 - 24

D E S I G N S T R AT E G I E S

T H E P U B L I C S P A C E H O S T S G F E L L' S R E C E P T I O N , A L O U N G E , A N D B R E A K F A S T H A L L

THE MENTAL WELLNESS
MEGA-TREND

SPRING 2021

a very efﬁcient way. While the public spaces are placed on
the ground level, the rooms on the lower level can enjoy
unobstructed views. "
While Profanter says the ﬁrm always tries to create
connections between the indoors and outdoors, he adds
that the pandemic ampliﬁed the need. " No one wants to
have this feeling of being locked up in a room and not even
having a visual connection to nature and the wide-open
landscape surrounding a hotel, " he says. " This is why we
always try to give nature the space it deserves. This means
not only planting some trees but making the landscape an
integral part of the hotel. You must be able to feel it, to
touch it whenever you feel like it. "
When designing the extension and preservation of
the old barn on the site, the team opted for green roofs, a
crucial element in blending the building with its location
in the Dolomites. Careful planning of the green space
and planting typical species created a feeling of being
embedded in the countryside, no matter where guests are
on the property. " When you approach Gfell the new rooms
are not immediately visible, and that's exactly what we
wanted to achieve, " Profanter says. " By integrating them
into the natural landscape they make room for the barn
and that feeling of tradition that was important to us. " BD

A N D R E A S P R O FA N T E R

ALEX FIL Z

Not surprisingly, health and wellness-which was already
a massive and growing trend in the hospitality industry-
became a focal point amid the global pandemic. It was also
not shocking, then, that many who still sought out travel
last year did so for the purposes of honing in on their
mental health and connecting to the outdoors. The Global
Wellness Institute calls it the mental wellness mega-trend
and prices the industry at $121 billion.
Enter the Gfell, a hotel located under a barn. Its
roots are underground, yet it boasts a view that caters to
travelers seeking an experience grounded in nature and
wellness. Designed by noa* (Network of Architecture),
the property is located in Italy's Fiè allo Sciliar, a town in
South Tyrol, and was extended by embedding it in the
land, offering guests the feeling of being immersed in the
spectacular surroundings.
" While onsite for the ﬁrst time we noticed the
natural morphology of the terrain. It was clear to us that
it would be very challenging building something into
such a steep slope but at the same time, we saw it as a
unique opportunity, " says noa* partner, architect Andreas
Profanter. " Not only is the orientation of the slope perfect
because it makes for amazing views of the valley below, but
it allowed us to integrate the rooms into the landscape in

Boutique Design - Spring 2021

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