Oliver Hofmeister from Munich-based architects Oikios worked out the underlying idea for the supple yet incisive external form while actually in Davos. The official name of the parcel of land on which the hotel stands is “In der Stilli” – a name that reflects the tranquil, sheltered surroundings. That peacefulness and security also had to be expressed in the architecture of the building. A pine cone with its smooth scales from the nearby forest provided another source of inspiration. So that is how the hotel got its curving oval envelope.In its Alpine setting, the new InterContinental Davos Hotel with its softly shimmering, champagne-coloured façade is an extravagant eye-catcher. The abstract wave pattern of the building envelope evokes numerous associations: from a woven fabric to a scaly reptile.Three-dimensional, curving elements made from a steel supporting frame and thin sheet steel form the façade to the new InterContinental Davos Hotel.Looking like diagonal waves, the steel façade elements swirl around the structure. The spandrel panel elements are hollow and have the same high-quality surface finish on all sides. Both from outside and close-up from inside, the champagne colouring and depth effect of the coating is fascinating.Even if the forms seem to be repetitive, each one of the 791 spandrel panel elements had to be designed and fabricated as a one-off to fit in with the ascending diagonals on the oval structure.

Oikios Gmbh