Luxury and sustainability combined: sleek stainless steel façade for carbon-neutral spa

The smooth silver façade of Silvretta Therme Spa in Ischgl, Austria, was designed by Krieger Architekten and crafted by Roofinox GmbH with Outokumpu Core 304/4301 stainless steel. Pascal Metzler, Managing Director at Roofinox, an industry-leading manufacturer of stainless steel roofs and façades, shares his insights on the project.

Aesthetics and functionality dictated the choice in façade material and surface finish

“The aesthetic vision was to create a spa complex in the image of a low-lying silver cloud,” Metzler recalls.

The slightly curved wall cladding mimics the essence of water – the overarching theme of the spa environment. Stainless steel was chosen for its versatility in terms of appearance and functionality, as well as its inherent sustainability qualities: excellent durability and high recycled content.

After considering a range of surface finishes, the designers wanted an ultra matt surface to blend in with the Alpine valley as seamlessly as possible. “This is where our combined expertise together with Outokumpu came into play,” he says. 

7500 m² of ultra matt stainless steel panels in a subtle champagne hue

“We were able to provide a very homogenous low-gloss surface finish without needing to rely on a patterned surface to achieve the desired effect,” Metzler explains. The soft, almost textile look diffuses light elegantly and contrasts the hardness of the core material. The DURA-Matte surface finish was also selected because it results in softer, more malleable stainless steel sheets that are easier to manufacture into wall and soffit panels. 

The sophisticated champagne color of the façade interacts gracefully with its Alpine surroundings in all four seasons. The right tone was achieved with an electro-chemical coloring process by Inox-Color.

“This brilliant procedure allows us to create a beautiful colored effect without applying any external lacquer or pigment paint,” Metzler praises the INOX-SPECTRAL® process.

Read about another impressive electro-chemically colored stainless steel façade – Amazon’s Doppler Building in Seattle.

Luxury and sustainability go hand in hand at Silvretta Therme

The energy consumed by Silvretta Therme is entirely fossil-free. From geothermal heating and cooling systems to insulation and heat recovery, this luxurious Alpine wellness center has dedicated sustainable design at its core. 

Metzler believes sustainability should always be more than a handful of pretty facts and figures:

“It has to be a complete mindset, reflected in every element of the building, down to the smallest lock and hinge.”

Stainless steel façades boast a record-low carbon footprint

As a façade material, stainless steel offers reduced lifecycle costs, unmatched durability and full recyclability at the end of its extensive lifespan. Over 95% of Outokumpu’s stainless steel is recycled to begin with, resulting in the lowest carbon footprint in the industry.

“At Roofinox, we work 100% with Outokumpu sustainable stainless steel only. Our partnership is based on mutually high quality standards – this is the key element of our product and our promise to our customers,” Metzler explains.