Taking a stroll around the rural municipality of Abfaltersbach, Austria, one may come upon an out-of-space piece of architecture, neatly huddled up among snug Austrian houses and with a perfect view to the local chapel. The avant-garde building is in fact the Community Center in Tyrol, commissioned by Gemeinde Abfaltersbach (Municipality of Abfaltersbach) and designed by Austrian firm Machne Architekten.
The community center, covered with timber and fiber cement siding, features prismatic walls and not a single rectangular window. It is designed to change its appearance, in accordance to the standing point of the viewer. The building is divided into three parts, hosting three completely different community programmes. The Town Hall, a music hall and a fire department coexist in the three ‘boulders’ of the structure, connected by a glazed foyer. The outer structure of the building creates intriguing polygonal inside spaces, featuring multi-faceted walls, combined with light decor. Spaces such as the auditorium and rehearsal hall are created with special attention to functionality, having great acoustic qualities.
Oddly enough the futuristic structure doesn’t in any way clash with the surrounding traditional architecture; it in fact harmonizes with it, color and shape-wise, without, however, imitating it. Perfectly proportionate to the pre-existing environment the Community Center brings a refreshing contrast into the landscape of rural Tyrol.
July 23, 2012
Pforzheim University
Strate College
British Higher School of Art and Design
Scuola Politecnica di Design
LOFT 42
World Architecture Festival
