Schlosshotel Fiss

Adventures carved into the mountain

A world of adventure unfolds within a space inspired by mountain crevices, where Schlosshotel Fiss's youngest guests can embark on a journey of discovery. Light-filled subterranean spaces, evocative of alpine gorges, crevasses, and ice crystals, blend into the surrounding landscape, creating a new architectural landmark for the family hotel designed by NOA.

Schlosshotel Fiss is a leading property in Fiss, a mountain village in East Tyrol known both as a winter ski destination and for summer hiking tourism. The family-owned hotel, together with the architecture and interior design studio NOA, has begun a long-term renovation and repositioning process, developing a strategic vision for the future. The collaboration initially focused on the hotel’s existing children’s areas. Last December, the new Kids Club opened as NOA’s first interior design intervention at the hotel and the first phase of a more extensive transformation. In April 2026, construction began on a more complex project: a new experiential area for junior and teen guests, for which NOA curated both architecture and interior design.

The new volume is set within the hotel garden, facing southeast, and follows a mimetic architectural language. In the background, the dramatic panorama of the Samnaun Group dominates the view, and—as is often the case in the studio’s approach—the goal was to avoid an imposing volume that could interfere with the Alpine landscape.

“The aim was to engage in dialogue with the surrounding natural terrain and the ski slopes in winter, while reducing the impact of a new addition to an already substantial hotel complex. For this reason, we chose to develop much of the program in a semi-subterranean space, organized around two main access fronts, strongly integrated into the context.”

Giulia Prevedello

Architect

The design concept further develops through a direct reference to Alpine landscapes and, in particular, to the hidden environments of the mountain subsoil: caves, fissures, and rocky cavities become the main conceptual reference for both architecture and interior design. The volume, distributed across four main levels plus two additional levels forming the slide tower, is structured around a clear opposition between two architectural archetypes: the cave and the ice crystal. On one side, excavated subterranean spaces define a dense, material condition; on the other, two light-filled patios inspired by ice crystals are embedded into the ground, drawing natural light deep into the building. Conceptually, these crystalline volumes appear to pierce the soil layers, generating fissures and cracks, reinterpreted architecturally through glass roofs. Light is therefore one of the project’s central elements: by day, it enters the space through deep cuts and grazing rays, while the patios and the openings in the ground take on an even more dramatic presence at night.

Of the two main facades, one faces the hotel and the other the ski slopes, functioning as ski-in/ski-out access. Both facades are made of earth-colored exposed concrete, where the material is not merely structural but becomes an expressive surface. The use of formwork liners allows a controlled and precise texture to be imprinted directly into the concrete. Once the material is cast and the formwork removed, the surface reveals a sharp pattern in which modular repetition combines with subtle variations in depth, creating a tactile effect. The result evokes the image of a cave opening up to visitors, inviting guests to enter and discover a universe of adventure.

This architectural configuration allows the exterior to maintain visual continuity with the surrounding natural landscape. The roof of the building becomes an accessible play area, shaped as a continuation of the Alpine slopes and organized into various play zones. A 50-meter slide, a tandem slide, a Bobby Car track, and several rope courses further expand the outdoor play offer.

"The work on the two facades is inspired by crystalline structure. The envelope is defined by prefabricated concrete panels with a triangular geometric grid, creating a deep pattern capable of modulating light and shadow throughout the day. This geometric language anticipates the design principle developed in the interiors, where the traditional distinction between walls, floor, and ceiling disappears."

Giulia Prevedello

Architect

The interiors are conceived as a subterranean landscape, visible from the outside only through two emerging towers and glazed openings cutting into the ground. Inside, walls and ceilings share the same color tones and material textures, reinforcing the idea of being in an underground environment shaped by nature. Triangular modules are integrated into the ceiling, partly made of acoustically active plaster and partly of 3D-printed concrete panels. These elements introduce a geometric fracture into the space and, beyond their aesthetic role, integrate acoustic functions and modulate light. Of the two patios, one is open while the other is covered by a glass structure. The functional program includes various entertainment spaces, both digital and analog, a Ninja Parkour and a Climbing Area, as well as a Kids Academy focused on creativity. On level -1 there is a shop and a ski depot, directly connected to the ski-in/ski-out system, ensuring immediate access to the slopes. The central experiential space on the ground level, developed as a double-height volume with suspended bridges and climbing walls, forms the playful heart and focal point of the project.

"The interior concept revolves around the vertical transition between different environments. Level -1 is essential and material, like a cave carved into stone, while the ground-level patios anticipate the relationship with the outside. On the upper levels, the experience becomes almost suspended, in sharp contrast to the solidity of the lower level."

Alin Messner

Interior Designer

The materiality also evolves progressively along the building’s vertical journey. In the deepest levels, stone, metal, glass, and blue textiles dominate, while moving upward toward exterior-facing spaces, wood, green tones, and warmer textile materials appear. In the Kids Academy, the palette shifts to forest greens and terracotta ceramic inserts, while the parquet floor—arranged like a wooden chessboard with raised rings—defines a distinctive graphic motif.

The theme of ascent constantly accompanies the interior experience. Double and triple-height spaces, stepped seating rising along the walls, and lightweight structures naturally guide guests to move fluidly between levels. The architecture appears to originate from a deep, primordial cavity, later shaped by the interior design team through subtle and light interventions, never compromising the sense of openness and spatial depth.

The project is currently under construction, with completion scheduled for winter 2027