Local history meets contemporary timber

It is difficult to imagine a façade with greater elegance, covered in shingles that are moulded into a gentle curve at the bottom of each storey. Such projections actually fulfil an important function: they shield wooden windows from the weather by allowing rainwater to drip down from the edge. The original farmhouse was built in the 18th century, in an expansive valley surrounded by the Bregenzerwald forests.

It was here that Anna Katharina Feuerstein opened a museum in 1920 together with the Heimatschutzverein, a local heritage group. As a pioneer in this sphere, she recognized the importance of preserving cultural heritage very early on.

Around one hundred years later, an extension was planned for this museum of local history in Bezau, a small town in Vorarlberg, Austria. The result is a fascinating dialogue between old and new timber, created by local architects Innauer Matt.

An architectural narrative

Here and there, you can spot individual new shingles that were used to repair the facade. As the years pass, these will weather naturally to blend with the existing historic material.

In the places where the old and new timber juxtapose inside the building, fascinating contrasts are interwoven to create a distinct narrative. Having darkened over the centuries, the rustic look of the original wood is set side by side against the pristine simplicity of the bright, new wood. And suddenly, the darkness of past times gives way to the radiant climes of contemporary materials.

It is the continual interaction between dark and light, yesterday and today, old and new, which makes a visit to this museum such an immersive experience. The architectural narrative adds a further attraction to Bezau Museum, in addition to the exhibitions. “The extension embraces the original building’s history and develops it with its own language,” explain the architects.

Varied spatial structure

A different kind of contrast is witnessed in the spatial structuring. While the ceilings in the old farmhouse are oppressively low – in some places only 1.70 metres high, the new rooms open up towards the top. As the planning authorities specified that the new construction should equal the height of the existing building, the architects achieved an expansive sense of space by dispensing with some of the ceilings. This approach creates uplifted niches and fascinating perspectives.

“The spatial structure is characterized by layers of rooms that engage with one another both horizontally and vertically. Old and new are interwoven into a unified entity whose spatial character and content are experienced as one,” the architects observe in their project description. The new three-storey structure offers not just extra space, but also increased flexibility in its potential use, which is essential for a modern-day museum.

Old-style “barn” extension

The architects oriented their design for the extension on traditional, local farmhouses. While the area at the front was reserved for living, the barn and stables were usually at the rear. With this in mind, a type of barn was therefore added onto the timber-shingled house, with the same traditional vertical cladding. This gave Bezau Museum the typical proportions of a “Wälderhaus”, or forest house.

The timber design for this museum extension stemmed from its attentive approach to the existing building. Besides this, the construction method itself was also aligned with the historic building. Instead of loadbearing structural components made of cross laminated timber, the architects chose glulam columns and beams, connected using traditional wooden dowels. The extension could be constructed largely by local craftspeople with support from the Bezau Artisan Society.

There is no doubt that this considerate treatment of the local surroundings and culture as represented by the museum of local history is in keeping with the wishes of its visionary founder.

Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Photos: Dominic Kummer