Architect Tom Lechner from LP architektur, one of Austria’s most esteemed mass timber architects, envisioned a building that seamlessly integrates into the picturesque waterfront promenade of the Salzach, promoting sustainable construction practices. The progressive design prioritises functionality, aesthetics, and low-carbon materials.

The Bezirksbauernkammer, realised in 2022 by INNOVAHOLZ GmbH in Hallein, is both striking and seamlessly blends into the urban river landscape.

Hallein is a picturesque town in Austria known for its rich history, charming medieval architecture, and scenic location along the Salzach River.

The Bezirksbauernkammer in Hallein provides support and advisory services to local agricultural businesses, helping them with various aspects of farming and resource management.

Welcome

Arriving via a forecourt of the Bezirksbauernkammer, you enter the building and come into a foyer with a central development core divided into public and semi-public functions.

From here, you have direct access to the offices, which are spread over the first two floors, as well as the event hall and an apartment on the top floor. The representative office of the Chamber of Agriculture is housed on the two upper floors, the lower floors are also used by the regional maschinenring (an association that enables the shared use of agricultural and forestry machinery). 

Form and function

The premises is flooded with light and lined from floor to ceiling with exposed wooden surfaces. The beams and supports of the skeleton construction are visible throughout, and the simple yet high quality wooden furniture typical of the region, complements the spatial concept in a harmonious way. The ribbon windows and the terraces offer wide views of the landscape - of the other bank of the Salzach and the mountain panorama behind it.

Features

The front porch, with its vertical facade, provides natural shading and wood protection from direct sunlight, giving the building its unique appearance and ensuring that the interiors do not overheat from the large window fronts. Trellises also enable the outer shell to be greened and provide biophilic effects for the workers.

Sylva™ by Stora Enso

Prefabricated Sylva™ by Stora Enso enabled this remarkable build of sustainable timber construction in visual and non-visual surface grades.

Sylva Services

This project leveraged Stora™ Enso's Sylva Services, with preinstalled lifting slings in factory-controlled conditions, ensuring elements were ready for immediate installation on-site.

Environmental Impact

Carbon Footprint: The Sylva kit generated 14 tonnes of CO₂e to manufacture and 4 tonnes to transport. This is minimal compared to the 209 tonnes of CO₂ absorbed by the trees used.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Using Sylva CLT elements avoided 313 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Source: Stora Enso Carbon Calculator

Sustainable Wood

The Sylva™ elements were made from wood sourced from PEFC-certified forests, ensuring sustainable forest management.

Awards

The project was completed in November 2022 and has since been nominated for and won several significant awards including:

Building of the Year 2024 by ArchDaily (Offices category)

LandSalzburg Architecture Prize 2024 nomination

Holzbotschafter (Wood Ambassador) for exemplary and sustainable building with wood by proHolz Salzburg. The Wood Ambassador is an award from Salzburg Forst & Holzwirtschaft for exemplary and sustainable building with wood. The award is aimed at public objects that are exemplary in building with wood.

Publications

UBM Magazine | Pro Holz

Learn more about the advantages of mass timber: Download the whitepaper