The Hofgarten in Innsbruck is a place with a deep-rooted history. Since it was first mentioned in 1396, it has evolved from farmland to a baroque garden to an English landscape park. Over generations, it has been designed, expanded and shaped - most recently by the striking signature of the Hofgartencafé by Clemens Holzmeister, which was built in 1924 and destroyed by fire in 2019.
Our competition entry takes this historic site seriously and develops a new café/restaurant that blends respectfully into the existing garden landscape. The architecture is based on the structure and anatomy of the old trees - their roots, crowns and silhouettes provided inspiration for form, space and scale. The concept is based on four elements: Air - generous glass surfaces that connect the inside and outside. Earth - Höttinger Brekzie, a local natural stone, anchors the building in the location. Water - art as a flowing element, staged inside the building as well as outside. Fire - a lighting concept that guides paths, emphasizes zones and makes the courtyard garden legible even at night.
The three-storey building offers space for gastronomy, art and encounters. Extensive greenery, natural boundaries and precisely positioned visual axes interlock the building with its surroundings - as an architectural proposal for a sensitive location that combines past and present. The design is characterized by generous glazing, visual axes and a close connection between interior and exterior spaces. Extensive greenery and a finely tuned landscape design harmoniously integrate the project into the courtyard garden and create places to meet and linger.