Stifter + Bachmann Designs ‘Sasso Nero’, A Copper-Clad Refuge In The Italian Alps
Stifter + Bachmann has completed the design of ‘Sasso Nero’ a copper-clad mountain hut. At 3,026 metres above sea level, the uniquely shaped six-story mountain hut is located in Italy’s Aurina valley.





Named ‘Sasso Nero’ which translates to ‘black stone’, and similarly to how rock is eroded by the wind, the building’s form has been shaped to withstand hurricane-level gusts.
The project was completed in two summers, due to its tricky location and difficulty to reach. Structural materials for the project had to be designed and put together in the valley below, before being hoisted into place by a crane, which was also taken apart into several pieces to reach the mountain via a specially-built cable car.
A restaurant and dining space is housed on the first floor, with a ribbon window that affords a 360° panoramic view of the incredible mountain scenery. The top three storeys of the building provide sleeping spaces and accommodation for up to 50 hikers. Guest rooms able to design two or ten persons are available, offering a beautiful window view of the environment. The two lower floors are designed to offer services to guests.
The refuge’s interiors and all of the furniture clad in natural spruce, while the exterior of the building is encased in copper. Copper was chosen for the exterior partly because this metal was mined in the Aurina valley until the end of the 19th century, and because of its colour, according to Stifter + Bachmann.
- date publishedFebruary 28, 2021
- categoryTravels
- original sourceDesign Boom↗