ALPENROYAL Grand Hotel

WICONA façades at the Alpenroyal Grand Hotel

The new spa at the five‐star Alpenroyal Grand Hotel, located in Selva di Val Gardena, near the city of Bolzano (Italy) was designed by the Italian studio Perathoner Architects, featuring very dynamic contemporary architecture. Besides being located in a privileged natural setting, it has views of the Dolomites, which were declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Both the hotel and the spa stand out for their comfort, elegance and luxury. Its services include three saunas, two steam baths, a fitness room, a Kneipp‐Bath, a chill‐out area with a fireplace and a vitamin bar.

The Spa is located in the garden of the hotel and both buildings are connected by a glass corridor. The architects created grass‐covered volumes that partially emerged from the garden and organised the rooms of the new facilities around a naturally‐lit open patio. The windows of the upper floor let in the maximum amount of natural sunlight, while the darker underground level allows the perfect spaces to be created for relaxation.

Due to the weather conditions in this area in winter, it was necessary to use a system with a great capacity for thermal insulation and wind resistance. At the same time, it needed to provide the maximum transparency possible, with a modern appearance that allowed the building to blend in with its surroundings and become part of the landscape. The WICONA façade solution selected was the WICTEC 50 curtain wall.

The results of the test conducted on this system, according to standard DIN EN 13830, indicate an air permeability Class AE, water permeability of RE 1200 and a wind load capacity of 2000/‐3000Pa. Acoustic insulation is another point that was taken into account in a place where calm and relaxation are a priority. With this model of façade, WICONA provides a sound insulation of Rw (C;Ctr) = 47 (–1; –4) dB.

It should be pointed out that the WICTEC 50 curtain wall has achieved the Bronze level in the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Product Standard. The C2C Product Certification presupposes a paradigm shift in thinking about how a product is designed, what’s in it, and where it goes after use. It is a guidance system for product designers and manufacturers, that leads to the creation of products which redefine quality, aesthetics and innovation. In order to achieve one of the five levels of certification (starting from Basic up to Platinum), a product must satisfy the minimum requirements of the relevant level in all five categories. The categories are as follows: Material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, social fairness and biodiversity.

For the entrance areas, doors from WICONA’s WICSTYLE 75 evo series were used, which are ideal for high traffic areas. They also have very high performance, thanks to their multiple composition options, ideal for adapting to the architects’ requirements.