Messner Mountain Museum, Corones, Italy

Architect: Zaha Hadid
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: Zaha Hadid Architects

Embedded within the summit of Mount Kronplatz, 2,275m above sea level at the centre South Tyrol’s most popular ski resort, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones is surrounded by the alpine peaks of the Zillertal, Ortler and Dolomites. Established by renowned climber Reinhold Messner, the sixth and final Messner Mountain Museum explores the traditions, history and discipline of mountaineering. Messner’s vision for a museum of submerged into the peak of Mount Kronplatz detailed three very specific locations of where the museum should emerge from ground. Informed by the shards of rock and ice of the surrounding landscape, concrete canopies have been cast in-situ and rise from the ground to protect the museum’s entrance, viewing windows and terrace. Reflecting the lighter colours and tones of the jagged limestone peaks of the surrounding Dolomites, the exterior panels are formed from a lighter shade of glass-reinforced fibre concrete and fold within the museum to meet the darker interior panels that have the luster and colouration of anthracite found deep below the surface. A series of staircases, like waterfalls in a mountain stream, cascade through the museum to connect the exhibition spaces and describe visitors’ circulation over three levels. At the lowest level, visitors pass the viewing windows as they traverse through the galleries to emerge out onto the terrace that projects 6m from the mountainside giving a 240 degree panorama across the Alps.

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher
Project architect: Cornelius Schlotthauer – ZHA
Design team: Cornelius Schlotthauer, Peter Irmscher – ZHA
Execution team: Peter Irmscher, Markus Planteu, Claudia Wulf – ZHA
Structural engineers: IPM
Mechanical engineer, fire protection: Jud & Partner
Electrical engineering: Studio GM
Lighting design: Zumtobel
Client: Skirama Kronplatz
Contractors: Kargruber und Stoll, Pichler Stahlbau, B&T Bau& Technologie