Awnings Contract
When a historic icon meets the most cutting-edge technology, the outcome can only be a timeless project able to renew continuously its authenticity. For Pratic, this combination has been represented by the dome awning designed by the Friuli-based brand in the sixties and which still nowadays marks with its unique lines the facades of classic and contemporary buildings, thus showing great versatility.
At the Kempinski Palace Engelberg hotel, in the namesake city on the Swiss Alps, Pratic branded dome awnings contribute to relive the atmosphere of Belle Époque’s Grand Hotels with a modern touch. Built in 1904, the five-star hotel has been recently renovated to enhance and preserve the historic wing of the building and its distinctive architecture.
For the outdoors, the project involved the re-integration of solar shading systems that have marked the hotel outline for years: along the three central floors, the balconies of 89 suites follow one another, protected by as many Pratic Selene dome awnings for an aesthetically refined and outstanding result. The rounded shape and the technical fabric allow the awning to protect the room underneath against sun and light rainfalls: a solution that transforms the balcony – furnished with armchairs and coffee table – into a cozy outdoor living area, while offering the advantage of a personalized shading inside the rooms.
The innovation of the model of the sixties lies in its operation, which is now fully automatized and connected to the hotel’s domotic system allowing several covers to be managed at the same time. Moreover, each awning is equipped with weather sensors, which activate the automatic opening and closing of the canvas depending on sun, wind, rain or snow.
However, the design of the dome awning has remained unchanged, overcoming time and the many architectural constraints on the building. Thanks to their essential style and custom-made design, Pratic awnings integrate perfectly into arcades leading to balconies. The canvas, made of white and green melange yarn, recalls the colour of the wrought-iron baluster, thus enhancing the original charm of the Kempinski Palace in each detail.
Project: Iwan Bühler Arch.büro GmbH e Biscontin Arrimo AG
Photo Credits: Silvan Bucher
Product Selene
Location Engelberg, Switzerland