Page 166 - B-ALL45ENG
P. 166

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alpe di Siusi is the largest plateau in Europe located in the Dolomites in the heart of Val Gardena, in Italian Tyrol.
This enchanting setting with its large flowery meadows in summer and immacu- late in winter offers nature lovers more than 350 km of hiking trails and several e-bike circuits in the middle of the woods.Surrounded by the magnificent peaks of Sciliar, Sella, Sassolungo and Sassopiatto, this mountain paradise is preserved from car traffic and its gentle slopes are transformed into an incredible ski area. As soon as the first snow falls, it communicates with the other valleys in a circuit that has become famous, named Sella Ronda.
From 1934, the first cable car opened from the village of Ortisei and made it possible to reach the plateau more easily, anticipating the opening in 1938 of the ski resort.
At that time, the Hotel Icaro was a very sober alpine refuge at 1910 meters above sea level. Its owner was a fabulous skier. He seemed to fly above the snowy slopes and was compared to Icarus, hence the name given to his establishment and kept since by his successors.
Angelika Sattler and her family are the third generation of owners. Angelika grew up in its mountains and her love for their landscapes made her want to open another chapter of the family tradition and play the card of a more contemporary architecture to welcome her guests.
Coming from a nearby valley in search of work, her grandmother Berta had quickly discovered the potential of the place and had already transformed it with her husband into a hotel establishment in the early 1970s.
The current structure has been completely redesigned and transformed by the Modus Architects office in Bressanone. Past and present, architecture and nature, man and culture cohabit in this place inaugurated in July 2021. The desire for change and the enthusiasm of the owners have made it possible to move towards a bold and modern project far from the clichés of the mountain architecture.


































































































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