A green-roofed tourist center blends into a Slovakian mountainside
Bachledka Summit Facilities by architectural studio Compass Architekti sits atop Mala Poľana on the ridge of Spišská Magura, ready to receive visitors while blending into the mountainous landscape. This area in Ždiar, Slovakia is the doorway to a variety of activities such as skiing, hiking, biking and sightseeing on an established route called The Treetop Walk.
The area is popular, with up to 6,000 daily visitors, so the goal was to provide facilities that support visitors and activities in the area. It’s called a summit for a reason, as access is limited via standard tourist routes or by cableways from adjacent villages: Bachledova dolina, Malá Franková and Jezersko.
To avoid obstructing the view at the top of the mountain, the designers left only the necessary cableway control and Treetop Walk access on the hill. The rest of the structure is embedded into the hillside for minimal site impact. Taking advantage of the natural slope, the only visible facades are glazed, providing natural light and a view of the mountains. Working with the natural plateau at the peak, the sloped green roof blends into the landscape year-round.
The designers reported one challenge was finding a way to provide access from the plateau at the top to the restaurant and other structures below. The solution is an exterior staircase with a ramp. This solution reduced the number of concrete parts needed for a typical stairway and created a flowing divide between the restaurant and the apartments.
Beneath the stairs is an indoor play area made using birch trunks and nets. Architects relied on passive design via skylights to light this area. The majority of the structure is composed from natural materials, including concrete and wood. Locally sourced spruce was used for the ceiling and walls. Some of the form boards were reused as partition walls in the bathroom.
A onsite restaurant consists of indoor and outdoor seating for over 500 people. A centralized space serves as a multipurpose room for eating breakfast, playing games or gathering and can be converted into an environmental classroom as needed. Three nearly identical apartments each contain a living room, kitchenette, bathroom and two double bedrooms connected by a walk-in closet. An additional mezzanine bed is tucked above the closet and is accessible by ladder. Transom windows provide natural lighting to the mezzanine level.
Photography by BoysPlayNice via LINKA
Written by Dawn Hammon
