Addition of storeys in a record time thanks to CLT

At Krallerhof, change seems to be the only constant. The hotel started out as a typical boarding house with communal bathrooms in the post-war period. Over the following decades, it became one of the best addresses in the Pinzgau region in Salzburg, Austria. Already in the 1970s, agriculture was abandoned, and since then, the focus has been entirely on the hotel. Then as now, quality has priority over quantity.

For manager Gerhard Altenberger, this also includes a thoughtful use of existing resources. “Before we tear something down, we think about whether we could transform it into something new.” The latest construction works, done with glulam and CLT, are a good example. Instead of a new construction, an old part of the building was partly demolished and a timber construction was built on top of the existing structure. The planning for this project was mainly done by Europe’s leading timber trade company J. u. A. Frischeis.

Quality and infrastructure

Since 2005, Krallerhof has 124 rooms, all of which have been renovated over the last 13 years. With 124 rooms, we have reached a size that is right for us. Now, we want to further improve infrastructure and quality”, says Altenberger who thinks not only of his demanding guests but also of his employees. This is not that simple considering that the hotel employs around 150 people in summer and 270 in winter. In addition to the hotel, three gastronomy businesses in the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn as well as a ski school are part of Krallerhof.

So far, administration and human resources were located in only three small offices behind the lobby of Krallerhof. “This lack of space was the main reason for the latest building project”, explains Altenberger.

3 m. € invested in three weeks

Altenberger opted for an addition of storeys on top of an existing part of the building and the generous expansion of the lobby. The biggest challenge was the particularly tight schedule: On 15 April, the winter season ended and the hotel was to be reopened on 4 May. “If you want to do construction works in such a short time, cross-laminated timber is the first choice. We knew right from the beginning that we could stick to this tight schedule only by using massive wood elements manufactured by trusted partners”, underlines Altenberger.

Already one year before construction began, an intensive planning phase started. As to the companies involved, priority was given to local manufacturers and suppliers with whom the hotel had worked together successfully in the past. One of those companies was timber construction specialist Madleitner & Söhne. The company was responsible for the timber construction works as well as for a good part of the organisational aspects and construction site logistics.

Reliable partner for CLT

For this particular project, not only Altenberger but also Madleitner opted for a trusted partner:
J. u. A. Frischeis delivered 200 m³ of cross-laminated timber from Binderholz and 25 m³ of glulam from Hasslacher Norica Timber, and also did extensive planning work. Europe’s leading timber trading company realised very early that when it comes to CLT, it involves more than the sale of panels. Today, Frischeis offers its clients CLT from various manufacturers as well as numerous services, such as preliminary structural calculations, 3D construction documentation or planning regarding building physics and soundproofing.

According to Thomas Grünwald, these services are appreciated by customers. The carpenter has been working with CLT for more than ten years, and for six years now, he has been responsible for Frischeis’ timber construction customers in Salzburg. Herbert Madleitner confirms this assessment: “Whenever a project involves CLT, we work together with Frischeis. The company’s delivery times are considerably shorter, and Thomas Grünwald does essential planning work for us.”

Successful collaboration

For the addition of storeys in Leogang, Grünwald created the 3D construction documentation and did the preliminary structural calculations. These and other well done services made the project a successful one. Krallerhof’s employees appreciate the additional space and the pleasant climate created by the wood in the new rooms. Madleitner, Altenberger and Grünwald are happy about the outcome of the project. And last but not least Altenberger adds: “Our guests welcome the new lobby as a courageous but successful step towards the future.”