Mountaineers traversing the unforgiving but spectacular landscapes of Slovenia’s Triglav National Park have a new cozy respite from the harsh environment to look forward to. A design team led by architect Darko Bernik replaced a decrepit 1936 bivouac shelter with a new bell-shaped replica that withstands winds of 200 kilometers per hour. The vastly improved alpine shelter, named Bivak II na Jezerih, was created from over 600 hours of voluntary work by mountaineers and climbers.

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Engineer and mountaineer Karlo Korenini designed the original 1936 bivouac shelter, which impressively withstood the elements for 80 years despite its simple construction. The new upgraded and improved Bivouac II is a replica of the old hut, which was airlifted and donated to the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum, and is located in the same wild area in the Julian Alps. The new bell-shaped hut was airlifted into place and was built to be as easy to maintain as possible and is capable of withstanding hurricane force winds and heavy snow loads.

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Laser-cut and pre-bent aluminum plates were used to clad the steel-framed building and chosen for their aesthetics and durability. Specialty REFLEX glass with superior insulation was installed to let light into the hut. The less than nine-square-meter wood-lined interior fits six people and includes a folding table, overlapping bench, storage, and other elements for a cozy and relatively comfortable experience.

+ Bivak II na Jezerih

Via ArchDaily

Images via Anze Cokl