Project description
The installer was faced with a rather unusual task in the redesign of a room in the basement of the hotel. The room had formerly been a discotheque in the 1970s and had since been disused for many years. The plan was to transform the area of about 80 square metres into a new culinary highlight in the form of an attractive wine cellar, including a stylish but atmospheric cigar lounge with 20 additional seats for wine and whisky tasting. In order to create the typical quaint and traditional flair of a wine cellar, dome and cross vaults in dry construction were added to the entire space. While the cross vaults were constructed using RIGIPS standard boards, traditional artisanal stucco gypsum was applied at the dome’s surface. In this way, the previously bare room acquired an entirely new atmosphere. In addition, the invisible ventilation technology behind the drywall construction elements provides a comfortable and healthy indoor climate even when the room is used to capacity.
Contractor
Franz König GmbH
The Franz König Gmbh is through years of experience, a competent and reliable partner in all aspects of stucco work and dry-lining. As a plasterer craft-master company, the 13-member team manufactures customized crown moldings, columns and pilasters of Gypsum by means of handmade stencils. Franz Königs’ special field of activity are wine cellars in mainly Tyrolean hotels as well as local public buildings; both segments are Franz Königs’ references and base of the excellent reputation of this traditional company. As well as being an excellently skilled craft business, the company puts an equally high priority on providing support through technical and creative advice in planning as well as in the execution phase.
Key Achievements
- A frame made of structural steel suspended from the bare ceiling serves as a support structure for the vaulted dome. Strips of a spot-welded wire trellis were cut into segments and installed on it with perforated, humidity-absorbing cardboard as plaster base.
- Stucco gypsum was sprayed onto the plaster base and taken off manually using a wooden jig. The edge profile was also embedded in the jig. This meant that both the dome surface and the stucco trim could be produced in one process step.
- The dome shell was sealed to be airtight from above. Air is extracted from the dome via an only 2cm wide, circumferential gap. The negative pressure resulting from the extraction prevents cigar smoke from escaping into the degustation area.
Key Challenges
The intention was to house different uses which do not preclude but more precisely complete each other in a comparatively small space: the degustation of whisky and wines directly adjacent to the cigar lounge in an open-space concept- without an air gate between the two areas– necessitated strict requirements on the ventilation system. On the one hand it had to be noiseless and above all invisible, as the building contractor emphasized a design in proper style. The unique solution was provided by Franz König, who also undertook the planning of the utility systems in addition to decoration. The supporting structure of the dome was executed to be airtight, with the air being extracted via a 2cm wide, circumferential gap at the base of the vault. This creates a slightly negative pressure in the cigar lounge- preventing the cigar smoke from escaping towards the degustation area; all in all a perfect combination of using innovative techniques whilst still looking as traditional as expected.