From 30 May to 7 September 2014, Merano Arte hosts the Alpi Architettura Turismo exhibition, curated by Susanne Waiz. Alpine architecture, architecture for tourism, or architectural tourism in the Alps are various facets of a single topic: Architecture, or the essence of a building work, its specific being.
It is starting from this assumption that the longevity of prestigious hotel architecture can be explained: if the good architecture of the 900s is still appreciated today, it can likewise be assumed that the good architecture of our days will maintain its value even among hundreds of years.
The casuistry of architectures for tourism documented in the exhibition ranges from the simple boarding house to the most illustrious hotel, passing from the ski lifts to the architectural sculptures of Passo Rombo.
Architecture for tourism, in fact, cannot be limited to accommodation establishments alone, but also embraces all that set of interventions summarized in the exhibition in the definition of "landscape of tourism". No other economic sector has such a profound impact on the landscape, with positive consequences but also with disturbing implications. On the other hand, if on the one hand there is often fear for the protection of the delicate high altitude environment, on the other it is also thanks to tourism that many settlements above a certain altitude still manage to survive.
The selection of the projects presented followed a purely architectural approach, leaving aside the usual standards of hotel quality and favoring rather the compositional quality and the relationship with the natural and built context, in both newly built and historical buildings. With regard to the latter, particular weight has been given to the adaptation, albeit in the form of minimal interventions, to the needs of today's tourism, while the dilapidated testimonies of disused hotel architecture have been intentionally excluded, such as for example the Hotel Paradise of Gio Ponti.
Prestigious architecture is only given if it is actively cared for by the clients, and therefore their awareness and their visions have been explored in the context of numerous interviews.
In this sense, the exhibition is not aimed exclusively at planners and architects, but intends to act as a stimulus for hoteliers and all those who work in the tourism sector. Finally, guests and tourists are certainly welcome: ultimately, they are the expectations that are reflected in the architecture for tourism.
Among the collateral initiatives, Merano Arte will offer throughout the summer an opportunity for hoteliers and architects to meet informally who, gathered around a lavish table, will be able to tackle problems and projects in a convivial atmosphere useful for breaking down invisible barriers and inhibitions .
The review is also accompanied by the so-called hoteljournal, a publication distributed to all the hotel establishments in the province which, alongside specialist contributions and interesting interviews with hoteliers, presents a summary of the architectural examples on display - an agile and manageable guide to architecture through the tourism landscape.
The exhibition is developed in three sections:
– historic accommodation facilities
– modern accommodation facilities
– infrastructure for tourism
Number of projects:
23 structures and infrastructures present in the area, in urban centers and in the various South Tyrolean valleys
Presentation forms:
– Photos, plans and texts placed on partition walls
– Models and individual pieces of furniture
– Nine audio stations with interviews with hoteliers
– Installation "Paradise" by the artist Elisabeth Hölzl
– Installation „Brennende Lieb'“ by Susanne Waiz, in collaboration with freilich Landschaftsarchitekten (landscape architecture), located on the terrace of Merano Arte
Architecture and Tourism in dialogue
Architects meet hoteliers
The exhibition invites hoteliers and operators in the tourism sector to meet architects active in the area. 36 well-known South Tyrolean architects will initiate a dialogue between the architecture and tourism sectors. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 03.06 to 31.07 and from 26.08 to 04.09 various appointments are scheduled, during which two architects will be available to hoteliers and tourism sector operators for a personalized dialogue (times to be agreed).
An initiative by HGV, SMG, MGM and Merano Arte. Participation is free, reservation is required www.kunstmeranoarte.org – tel. 0473 212643.
Guided tours in Italian are scheduled every Wednesday from 11.00 to 12.30 during the month of August.
