BG 15

The first building from ready-made concrete elements was erected in the storied alpine SPA town of Bad Gastein by architect Gerhard Garstenauer. Today the Congress Center stands abandoned and is surrounded by more abandoned buildings. The congress center looks like a UFO that landed and never left compared to all the buildings in the style of old grand hotels that stand adjunct to it. No costs were spared at construction and interior design of this ambitipous project, B&B italia sofas and arm chairs, custom made carpets etc. Surrounded by spectacular alpine views, one can easily imagine the time when kings, queens and celebrities used to summer here. In the 80s there was a short revival, sheiks and U2 came to party and ski, the hottest club in town at the time was also in the congress center.
The pictures for this project were taken during a residency in the alpine village in 2015, since then Bad Gastein has gained more and more acclaim as an off-beat destination. The movie "The Grand Budapest Hotel" taking some of its inspiration from it certainly did not hurt. Meanwhile all the carpets and funishings have been removed from the congress center and its next incarnation is eagerly anticipated while a new contemporary tower is being built in the vicinity and some of the old hotels are being renovated(2022).