NEw Monte Rosa HUT SAC

Self-sufficient building in the high Alps

ETH Zurich (ed.)

gta Verlag
 Contents
13 The work of ecological pioneers  Ralph Eichler
14 From anniversary project to built structure  Meinrad K. Eberle
16 Challenges for the SAC  Reto Jenatsch
17 The mountain hut as tourist facility  Franz Steinegger

21 Building in the mountains  Adolph Stiller

38 The discovery of the peaks  Marie-Anne Lerjen
55 The hut enters the modern era  Ákos Moravánszky, Andrea Deplazes, David Gugerli
67 Base camp for ecological construction  Paul Knüsel
76 Self-sufficient?  Ákos Moravánszky

101 Architecture  Andrea Deplazes, Marcel Baumgartner

114 ETH Studio Monte Rosa  Andrea Deplazes, Marcel Baumgartner
123 Principal  Peter Planche
124 SAC hut construction  Peter Büchel
126 Structure  Tivadar Puskas, Jan Stebler
131 Timber construction  Hansbeat Reusser
151 Fire protection  Hansbeat Reusser, Mario Fontana
152 Geology  Charles-Louis Joris
171 Building physics  Christoph Keller
172 Energy and building technology  Matthias Sulzer, Urs-Peter Menti
175 Building automation  Lino Guzzella, Samuel Fux
186 Sustainability  Stefanie Hellweg, Melanie Goymann
188 Digital fabrication  Fabio Gramazio, Matthias Kohler, Tobias Bonwetsch, Ralph Bärtschi
203 Building process  Hans Zurniwen, Sacha Menz
204 Firms  Marcel Baumgartner, Hans Zurniwen

210 Organisation, planners/designers, chronology,

facts and figures, patrons and sponsors
12
The wor k of ecological
pioneers
The ascent to the New Monte Rosa Hut tra­
verses a vast, untamed mountain terrain.
Gravel, ice and glacial polish make for a
­primordial landscape, remote from human
civilisation – until suddenly this high-tech
construction materialises. With its futuristic
architecture and virtually self-sufficient pow-
er supply, the hut at the foot of the Monte Rosa
Massif sets new standards for building in the
mountains and constitutes a groundbreaking
innovation in building service engineering.
It’s also an astonishing sight, mesmerising and
exciting. The New Monte Rosa Hut, a collabo-
rative effort on the part of ETH Zurich and the
Swiss Alpine Club SAC , was financed mainly
by generous patrons and sponsors. Many stu-
dents participated in the project as well, which
marks the sesquicentennial of our institution.
In addition to lodgings, the hut also offers a re-
search lab for experiments in technological
science. Its initial phase will serve to verify its
design parameters and optimise the controls
of its various facilities. Power and water sup-
ply are also to be carefully tested, which in
turn will provide new information on the sus-
tainable use of valuable resources.
This is not the first scientific foray into the
Alps; indeed, it was researchers who led pio-
neering expeditions into the high mountains,
and these specialists have been braving the
desolate wastes of snow and stone, driven by
scientific curiosity. In subsequent years, the
framing of the Alps as a tourist destination
was made possible mainly by ambitious major
projects; roughly a century ago, formidable
undertakings like the construction of the
Jungfrau Railway or, in the vicinity of Monte
Rosa the Gornergrat Railway. Today, these
attractions have become as synonymous with
Switzerland as the Matterhorn, whose strik-­
ing outline features among the peaks arrayed
in a panorama around the new hut.
In their day, such pioneering feats were every
bit as daring as current Alpine projects. And
yet for all that, the New Monte Rosa Hut sets
new standards. Combining the latest technol-
ogy with contemporary Alpinism, the high-
tech chalet perched above the Gorner Glacier
will be known well beyond its immediate re-
gion – of that I am convinced. Not only does
it cater to its guests’ needs, it also sets a shin-
ing example in environmental sustainability.
The architectural masterpiece virtually em-
bodies ETH Zurich’s energy research strategy,
which squarely confronts the urgent prob-
lems of climate change and the waste of re-
sources. The strategy depends upon three ‘E’s.
The first is efficiency, or reducing the flow of
materials even as energy use is rendered more
effective; the second is energy renewability,
including its widespread application; and the
third is electrification, which means the in-
creased deployment of electrical power emitt­
ing as little carbon dioxide as possible in build-
ings and transportation.
The New Monte Rosa Hut goes even further:
As noted above, its energy use is almost en-
tirely autonomous. Its designers have also de-
veloped exemplary water and waste solutions.
This groundbreaking project is a veritable
showcase of the excellent research being done
at ETH Zurich and serves as an advertisement
for sustainable building. The architectural
icon swathed in eternal snow will enhance the
reputation of ETH Zurich as an international
player to be reckoned with on the university
scene and strengthen its position in science
and technology.
I would like to express my gratitude to all
participants in this successful project for
their great commitment – to its initiators, to
the professors, students and professionals in-
volved, to the SAC , to its patrons and spon-
sors, and to the political authorities. Very spe-
cial thanks to Professor Meinrad K. Eberle,
who guided the project with unstinting pas-
sion through a host of perils. To the operators
of the New Monte Rosa Hut guesthouse and to
the experts who will be carrying out research
there I wish the best of luck from the bottom
of my heart – and may its visitors enjoy them-
selves in this unique landscape.
Professor Dr. Ralph Eichler, President
of ETH Zurich
13
 F rom anniversary project
to Built struct ure
The New Monte Rosa Hut is one of fifty pro­
jects undertaken to celebrate the 150th anni-
versary of ETH Zurich, a university of natural
science and technology of both national and
international importance and a leader in
teaching and research, now and in the future.
It actively participates in fashioning our fu-
ture, takes on responsibility for leadership as
needed and produces added value for our so-
ciety. In pursuit of these aims, ETH is particu-
larly committed to sustainability.
Indeed, it was from this concern that the idea
of constructing a hut in the high Alps arose, a
structure that would serve as an architectural
example and set new standards for self-suffi-
ciency and sustainability. The germ of the idea
came from my wife, a natural scientist who
has been fascinated for years by the moun-
tains of the Valais and their flora.
In 2003, the ETH Studio Monte Rosa was
founded at the Faculty of Architecture at ETH
Zurich with Professor Andrea Deplazes as its
chair; there followed four semesters in which
students worked on a dozen proposals, be­
ginning with the question of whether to reno-
vate the existing hut or build a new one. ETH
Zurich was in contact with the Swiss Alpine
Club from the outset, and a long and intensive
collaboration began: not without friction, but
borne by the will to work together for a com-
mon goal. The first decision was to replace the
existing hut with a new construction.
In fact, the New Monte Rosa Hut, at 2883 me-
tres a. s. l., is slightly above the location of the
old hut, and enjoys an even better view. It was
clear from the beginning that the hut must
make a statement, in addition to being at least
ninety per cent autonomous in its energy
­requirements and provided with sufficient
water. Electrical power is supplied via the
most up-to-date photovoltaic technology,
while thermal collectors furnish the hut with
hot water. During periods of prolonged bad
weather or when the demand for energy is
particularly high, a cogeneration plant run on
biodiesel can provide electrical power and
heating. Melt water, stored in an underground
cavern with 200 cubic metres capacity, meets
the hut’s water needs. Waste water is pro­
cessed in the hut’s own treatment plant and, as
grey water, reused for flush toilets.
14
During what was known as “Research and de-
velopment phase I” (from mid-2005 to mid-
2008), basic studies in architecture, construc-
tion, materials and building technology were
carried out with an eye to determining quali-
ty, risks, logistics, sustainability, timeline and
costs. A wide range of versions were consid-
ered and scrapped, with particular attention
to logistics and risks. The new hut’s location,
at an altitude of 2883 metres a. s. l. as noted
above and far from the public power and wa-
ter supply grids, permitted construction only
with the help of helicopters, which in turn
meant zero tolerance for risk in terms of con-
struction, materials and building technology:
All construction elements had to be top qual-
ity and field-tested.
The New Monte Rosa Hut’s unmistakable
shape, a crystalline form with metallic clad-
ding and integrated photovoltaic panels, is the
union of opposites: a generously proportioned
common room flooded with light and featur-
ing computer-made carvings, and relatively
small bedrooms affording great comfort and
functionality. One signal element is a ribbon
window, from the outside visibly mounting in
a spiral and tracing the cascade of steps with-
in the building.
The unusual architecture, however, could not
subsist merely on the strength of its inspira-
tion; it required funds for its realisation. In late
2007, once the target figures for patrons and
sponsors had been all but met, the work of
planning the execution began in earnest, and
the foundations were completed during the
following summer, with the cornerstone laid
on 16 August 2008. Construction and installa-
tion work began in May of 2009, the topping-
out ceremony was held on 2 July, and the New
Monte Rosa Hut was officially opened from 26
to 27 September 2009.
What is it that makes this structure so special?
In addition to its extraordinary architecture,
its chief innovation consists in the perfect
congruence of its energy and water systems,
each with its own variety of high-efficiency
components. This is made possible by an en-
ergy-management system (energy input, stor-
age and consumption), which ensures that the
quantity of energy required for its heat-ener-
gy-coupling system remains minimal. The en-
ergy-management system, which takes the
­local weather forecast and the hut’s expected
occupancy into account, is remote controlled
Prefaces
from ETH Zurich, and thus constitutes a giant
step for the university into a brave new world
of technology. The software required for its
model-based regulation is in development at
ETH Zurich. This stage of the project, which
goes by the name of “Research and develop-
ment phase II ”, will keep ETH Zurich busy for
the first several years of the hut’s operation.
The New Monte Rosa Hut, which bears the
Minergie-P label, thus remains a research
project of ETH Zurich.
Now, as we all know, money makes the world
fig.  1
go around. Some two thirds of the cost of the
New Monte Rosa Hut, excluding energy man-
agement and communication, was covered by
patrons and sponsors, while the SAC has
stumped up the rest. I would like to express
my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have
contributed to the successful completion of
this ambitious and sophisticated construc-
tion. Thanks as well to all planning companies
and advisers. The exemplary cooperation on
the construction site, which brought together
a broad range of different specialists on a tru-
fig.  2
ly interdisciplinary project, also deserves spe-
cial mention.
Last but not least, I would like to offer a partic-
ular vote of thanks to the SAC , and in particu-
lar to its Monte Rosa Section. Without the
close collaboration of its future owner and
user, the hut would not have made it out of the
project phase. Likewise, without ETH Zurich,
the SAC would not have a new hut to blaze­
a trail for tomorrow’s high-Alpine tourism
today.
Is the New Monte Rosa Hut excessively luxu-
fig.  3
rious? Despite criticism, the building is proof
of the viability of a construction in the high
mountains that meets the various criteria of
sustainability. The new mountain hut will
without a doubt lure ever more tourists into
the mountains and impress them with the
beauty of its natural surroundings. It is to be
hoped that such visitors may learn to pay
greater respect to nature, and thus to comply
with the precepts of sustainability.
Professor Dr. Meinrad K. Eberle,
Project head “150 years ETH Zurich”
fig.  4
1  Official inauguration on 26 / 27 September 2009
2  Franz Steinegger, Prof. Dr. Ralph Eichler and
Prof. Dr. Meinrad K. Eberle as the keys are handed over
3  Peter Planche and Reto Jenatsch, representatives
of the SAC
4  Guests picnicking on their way to the hut

15
 Challenges for the SAC
The first ascent of the Dufourspitze, the high-
est peak in the Monte Rosa Massif, was accom-
plished by a party of English mountaineers
led by Swiss guides in 1855, and it was the Eng-
lish, too, who founded the first Alpine Club
two years later. Paragraph 3 of the provisional
statutes of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC , found-
ed in 1863, makes the following resolution:
“The Association will erect huts at suitable lo-
cations in the high Alps so as to accommodate
the growing ranks of pleasure seekers bound
for the high mountains and glaciers.” The
SAC , whose membership is now over 125,000,
remains faithful to this undertaking and cur-
rently maintains 153 huts in the Swiss Alps.
While its pioneering forebears saw the huts as
staging grounds for a conquest of the Alps,
however, the SAC has now found itself con-
fronted with the need to protect the region; ac-
cordingly, the SAC’s current mission state-
ment forbids the establishment of new huts
in unexplored terrain. As existing huts are
renovated, attention is increasingly paid to
­environmentally friendly power supply and
waste-water treatment. Although the huts are
to remain no-frills accommodation for moun-
tain tourists and hikers, and not luxurious Al-
pine hotels, the SAC is quite open to innova-
tive architectural solutions, and ETH Zurich’s
proposal to renovate a hut together with the
SAC was met with corresponding enthusiasm.
The SAC is proud to have collaborated on the
hut, despite the occasional hurdles in a devel-
opment process comprising unconventional
ideas on the part of the students involved,
high standards on the part of their professors
and a constant struggle to keep costs under
control. In the name of its entire membership
the SAC would like to express its thanks to the
driving force behind the project, Professor
Meinrad K. Eberle, as well as its profound re-
spect for his contribution, and to all those at
ETH Zurich who participated in the hut’s re-
alisation.
What challenges will the New Monte Rosa
Hut pose to the SAC ? Its foundations were de-
signed in view of potential climate change; its
finely tuned construction by means of wood-
en compositional elements made rapid assem-
bly possible and minimised helicopter use; its
power supply and management factor the
body heat emitted by the hut’s guests into its
16
heating concept; an invisible subterranean
cavern collects and stores melt water for year-
round water supply; and waste-water treat-
ment allows the use of flush toilets and pre-
vents pollution of the hut’s surroundings with
either solid or liquid waste. Each and every
one of these innovations sets new standards
well beyond the domain of architecture, and
in turn makes for considerable challenges in
the SAC’s operation and maintenance of the
Monte Rosa facility, as well as in its deploy-
ment of the new techniques at other sites.
What is more, the New Monte Rosa Hut also
confronts the SAC with the issue of allowable
expenditure on mountain accommodations.
With a price tag of some six and a half million
Swiss francs, the hut exceeds the SAC’s own
wherewithal and constitutes a further chal-
lenge for the association: How to reconcile the
public’s inevitably heightened expectations of
other such facilities with its financial resourc-
es and values.
The New Monte Rosa Hut is a beacon to visi-
tors, and its unconventional appearance has
already met with widespread approval. Guests
are impressed by its functional structure,
which affords mountaineers security and
comfort with such features as a pleasant com-
mon room with a spectacular view, cosy dor-
mitories and all mod cons when it comes to
hygiene and other utilities. For their part, the
hut’s operators enjoy improved institutional
processes and additional privacy.
And yet, what good are exquisite architectur-
al innovations and sophisticated infrastruc-
ture if there is no one to enjoy them? The
SAC’s greatest duty will thus continue to be
guaranteeing true hospitality, so that the word
gets out: “There’s no better way to savour the
pleasures of the high mountains than by visit-
ing the New Monte Rosa Hut SAC !”
Reto Jenatsch, Chair, Hut Commission of the
SAC Central Managing Committee
Prefaces
The mountain hut as
tour ist facilit y
It’s not immediately apparent why the refur-
bishment of a house in the mountains should
raise questions of its political and economic
relevance, despite the uncontested signifi-
cance of mountain huts in general, and of
those in the Matter Valley in particular, to the
tourist trade. Alpine lodgings serve as staging
ground and base for mountaineers, as well as
affording them shelter from inclement weath-
er. Mountain huts are also increasingly in
vogue among Alpine hikers as destinations in
their own right.
Moreover, such visitors also generate income
in other areas. A hiker headed for the Monte
Rosa Hut, for instance, typically sets off in
Zermatt aboard the Gornergrat Railway and
alights in Rotenboden, where the trail begins.
Skiers, meanwhile, who engage a guide to fly
with them to the mountain landing field at
Monte Rosa Satteltole are virtually obliged to
visit the Monte Rosa Hut if their experience is
to be complete; it’s also a good place to prepare
for the trek over the Gorner Glacier to Furi.
Huts of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC , among
others of their ilk, are tourist facilities akin to
mountain railways, hotels, souvenir and sport
shops.
The renovation of such huts is therefore not
solely a matter of preserving building fabric,
but calls as well for the adaptation of lodgings
to the requirements of present-day visitors.
This typically means additional strain on the
environment, entailing as it does increased
consumption of water and the use of resourc-
es for heating, waste processing and hygiene.
This is where politics comes in – in the form of
the obligation to comply with environmental
regulations.
As user and defender of the mountains, the
SAC bears particular responsibility. At the
same time, it is no secret that there are differ-
ences of opinion within the SAC itself, for
­instance between the Alpine and midland
­sections, which are divided on the scale and
nature of environmental protection required.
While Alpine sections, motivated in part by
the interests of mountain guides, manifest
greater understanding for users, their coun-
terparts elsewhere in Switzerland foreground
protection of the environment – a conflict
that has been evident in the New Monte Rosa
Hut project as well, specifically with regard to
the mountain landing field at Monte Rosa
­Satteltole.
Independent of these differences, the SAC
feels duty-bound to compensate for the in-
creased comfort of lodgings by implementing
technical measures for environmental pro­
tection and to create environment-friendly
­accommodations. Sustainability is not a func-
tion solely of restrictions, since the appro­
priate deployment of energy and material
­resources is entirely a matter of scientific
know-how, which in turn means that techni-
cal innovation plays a key role. Since theory
must be verified in practice, the collaboration
between the Monte Rosa Section, which owns
the hut, and the SAC with ETH Zurich is of
considerable significance, both practically and
symbolically.
The innovation necessary for the construc-
tion of the New Monte Rosa Hut is less a mat-
ter of individual components than an optimi-
sation of the system as a whole. Indeed, the
­refurbishment of the old hut and its inte­
gration into the new system would have been
more expensive and more difficult than
­building a new hut. Furthermore, innovative
projects of this kind also call for external sym-
bolism or aesthetics: The new hut must fit into
its Alpine surroundings while at the same
time making an architectural statement with
it forms. Just as the imposing stone pyramid of
the Matterhorn, an outcropping of the African
continental shelf, is built on sediment, so does
the aluminium-clad, wooden structure rise up
like a crystal from the gneiss and granite of the
­Monte Rosa nappe.
Franz Steinegger, Chair, Project management,
New Monte Rosa Hut project
17
18

Institute for the History andTheory of Architecture
Faculty of Architecture, ETH Zurich
Publisher  ETH Zurich
Project director  Professor Dr. Meinrad K. Eberle,
150 years ETH Zurich; Philippe Carrard,
gta exhibitions
Concept  Professor Andrea Deplazes,
Marcel Baumgartner; Philippe Carrard,
Marie-Anne Lerjen
Editorial direction  Marcel Baumgartner,
Marie-Anne Lerjen
German editing (original edition)  Eliane Degonda,
Marion Elmer, Paul Knüsel, Sabine von Fischer
English editing  Marion Elmer
Translations  Rafaël Newman, J. Roderick
O’Donovan, Lisa Rosenblatt, Geoffrey S ­ pearing
Photography Tonatiuh Ambrosetti
Production of plans  Kai Hellat
Design and image editing  Bernet & Schönenberger,
Zurich
Printing  Südostschweiz Print AG, Chur
The editorial team has taken pains to locate
all copyright holders. In the event of errors or
omissions, subsequent editions will provide
notice of the relevant corrigenda.
© 2010 gta Verlag, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich
http://books.gta.arch.ethz.ch
© planning and project documentation:
ETH Studio Monte Rosa
© photos:Tonatiuh Ambrosetti
© texts: the authors
ISBN 978-3-85676-274-2
Publication of this volume accompanies the
New Monte Rosa Hut SAC exhibition at
ETH Zurich from 24 February to 25 March 2010.
Dieses Buch ist in einer deutschen Ausgabe
erhältlich: ISBN 978-3-85676-273-5
Ce livre est également disponible en français:
ISBN 978-3-85676-275-9
With the support of
ETH Zurich, Project management 150 years ETH
ETH Zurich, International Institutional Affairs
ETH Zurich, Faculty of Architecture
Schweizer Alpen-Club SAC
Club Alpin Suisse
Club Alpino Svizzero
Club Alpin Svizzer
Saint-Gobain Isover AG, Lucens
Solarcenter Muntwyler AG, Zollikofen
VELUX Schweiz AG, Trimbach
T E C H N I K F Ü R I D E E N
Hydro Building Systems AG, Mägenwil
In cooperation with
Baukoma AG, Kerzers
Eternit (Schweiz) AG, Niederurnen
Holcim (Schweiz) AG, Zurich
PlotFactory AG, Weisslingen
Ernst Schweizer AG, Hedingen
Designmöbel/-leuchten, Zollikon
VELUX Schweiz AG, Trimbach
ZZ Wancor, Regensdorf
In partnership with
Schweizerischer Ingenieur- und Architektenverein
Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects
Image credits  © Atelier Van Lieshout: p. 78, 2;
Andrea Badrutt: p. 48, 8; Marcel Baumgartner:
p. 102, 1; 115, 11–13; 118, 22–24; 132, 36/37; 151,
38–40; 152, 43; 205, 58 /59; 206, 60; Courtesy of
the Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller: p. 78, 1/3;
Centre for Integral Building Services Engineer-
ing, Technology and Architecture, Lucerne
University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Horw:
p. 174, 48 /49; 175, 50–52; Stéphanie Marie Cou-
son: p. 15, 1–4; Darbelley Photo Editions: p. 28,
15; Dr. A. Defner: p. 24, 2; ETH Studio Monte
Rosa: p. 62, 1; 102, 2; 103, 3–5; 104, 6–8; 116, 14–
21; fotografie nikkolrot: p. 113, 9; Gornergratbahn
Archives: p. 44, 4 /5; gta Archives/ETH Zurich:
p. 24, 4–6; Holzbaubüro Reusser GmbH, SJB
Kempter Fitze AG: p. 132, 35; Lauber IWISA AG:
p. 172, 44; 173, 45–47; Photo Klopfenstein AG:
p. 28, 12; 124, 30; F. Simonetti: p. 28, 17; reproduc-
tion granted by swisstopo (BA100042): pp. 208 /
209; Marco Volken: p. 48, 9; WGG Schnetzer
Puskas Ingenieure AG: p. 126, 31–34; Brigitte
Widmer: p. 28, 16; Zermatt Bergbahnen AG: p. 48,
7; Zurich Central Library, map collection: p. 40, 1;
Hans Zurniwen: p. 113, 10; 152, 41 /42; 186, 53; 203,
54 /55; 204, 56; 205, 57
p. 24, 1: Bruno Taut, Alpine Architektur, Hagen,
1919; p. 24, 3/7/8: Mario Cereghini, Costruire in
montagna, Milan 1950, p. 272, 312, 313; p. 28, 9:
Heinrich Dübi, Die ersten fünfzig Jahre des
Schweizer Alpenclub, Bern 1913, p. 42; p. 28, 10/11:
Central-Comité des S. A. C. (ed.), Clubhütten,
Lausanne 1928, huts 38, 135; p. 28, 13: Jakob
Eschenmoser, Vom Bergsteigen und Hütten-
bauen, Zurich 1973, p. 45; p. 28, 14: Eternit
Schweiz. Architektur und Firmenkultur seit 1903,
Zurich 2003, p. 194; p. 40, 2: George Yeld (Hg.),
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Julius Kugy, Im göttlichen Lächeln des Monte
Rosa, Graz 1940, p. 48; p. 44, 6: Heinz von Arx et
al. (ed.), Bahnsaga Schweiz. 150 Jahre Schweizer
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des S. A. C. (ed.), Clubhütten, Lausanne 1928,
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