Dangling from the edge of an alpine cliff, this structure initially appears to be an optical illusion. The modern gabled huts on the cantilevered platform are mirrored underneath, upside-down and slightly stretched like a reflection on a body of water. But the structure is very real, and it’s just the latest stunning feature to be added to the Hotel Hubertus in South Tyrol by Italian studio Network of Architecture (noa*).

The Hotel Hubertus is set at the foot of a popular ski and hiking area called Kronplatz in Valdaora’s Puster Valley. “Hub of Huts” gazes out at this serene landscape from a high vantage point, its series of glass-walled structures collectively forming a “zen-like refuge” for the wellness-oriented hotel. It’s located on the southeast side of the complex, at the edge of a glass-bottomed and cantilevered pool noa* added to the hotel six years ago. The beautiful 82-foot-long water feature has since become the hotel’s star attraction, so the architects used it for inspiration when designing the Hub of Huts.
Architect and noa* founder Lukas Rungger explains that the firm thought about all the activities swimmers tend to do in the pool, like standing, sitting, floating horizontally, and diving upside-down. “Each of these positions have a different horizon, and from this interplay of perspectives, the idea of the project came to life.”

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