Austria | In the Bregenzerwald, waiting becomes an experience

A rectangular glass box, inside three rustic wooden chairs, the kind you might find in a traditional farmhouse parlor: Those who sit here generally don't want to have a long conversation, but rather wait for the yellow country bus that connects the villages in the valley. Designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, the glass pavilion is one of seven "bus waiting shelters" in Krumbach, where international architects have playfully explored the region and its people.

While Radic evokes a Bregenzerwald farmhouse parlor, his Flemish colleagues from the firm De Vylder Taillieu allude to the snow-capped peaks of the Alpine landscape with a triangular, white metal roof at the Unterkrumbach Süd stop. The most spectacular design is by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto: a forest of thin, white steel rods. It offers no protection from the elements. However, it is one of the most photographed objects in the region and attracts visitors from near and far.

Elsewhere, people are happy if a bus even runs in rural areas. So how can a town with around 1,000 inhabitants afford the luxury of avant-garde bus shelters? "It was a crazy idea," admits Klaus Riedl, who oversaw the "Bus:Stop" project as a former municipal secretary. He can still clearly remember someone bringing up the suggestion over a beer at the local pub. But what respected firm has time for something like that? That was the question people asked themselves at the time. After all, Dietmar Steiner, the director of the Vienna Architecture Center, managed to win over creatives from Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Russia, and even Pritzker Prize winners Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu from China for the miniature buildings.

As we walk with the pensioner from one bus stop to the next, we can see that the entire village has undergone a fundamental transformation. It began with the problems that many villages face. "We lacked affordable housing, a grocery store, doctors, and meeting places," Riedl recalls.

There was long discussion about what could be done, until, with the involvement of the affected citizens, one project after another was realized. The first to be completed in 1999 was the "Dorfhus," which houses a supermarket, a café, a bank, a hairdresser, and apartments. Soon after, these were joined by the renovated community center, a multi-generational center, and a residential complex as an alternative to the otherwise typical, space-consuming single-family homes . Finally, in 2013, the new rectory was added: a light-filled, multi-purpose building with a library, event spaces, and an apartment that has even housed refugees instead of the pastor.

What's special about them: These aren't faceless, functional buildings, but rather timeless, puristic wooden structures that draw on the tradition of Bregenzerwald building culture, yet combine it with contemporary design and sustainability standards. This, however, required visionary architects like Hermann Kaufmann and Bernardo Bader. And they not only won Krumbach various architectural awards, but also inspired other municipalities in the Bregenzerwald to follow their example. Wherever we go, there are unfussy buildings made of the region's untreated wood. Whether it's the Women's Museum in Hittisau, the cheese cellar in Lingenau, the Wälder Insurance Company in Andelsbuch, or the dance hall in Schwarzenberg – every building is worthy of an architectural award.

We experience what it's like to live in such a house at the "Krone," a historic hotel in Hittisau. Built in 1838 as a courthouse, it later became an inn. Many owners alternated until 2005, when Helene and Dietmar Nußbaumer took over. They had the house carefully redesigned by architects and craftsmen from the region. With furniture made of untreated solid wood and unobtrusive comfort – a model room of the "Krone" can even be viewed in Peter Zumthor's "Werkraum" (Workshop) in Andelsbuch. "We imagine a world free of superfluous things, so that people can once again become more aware of themselves and their environment," the innkeeper sums up the understatement typical of the entire valley, while serving us beetroot carpaccio with cheese dumplings. Of course, the kitchen, which has been awarded a green star by Michelin, also works with products from regional vegetable growers, fishermen, and cheese producers – the website meticulously lists all suppliers, as well as every employee of the 20-person Kronen family. Bicycles are also available for rental here, of course. And those arriving by public transport receive a five percent refund on the hotel rate. There's almost something ambitious about how consistently they want to do everything right here. But it shows that it's possible.

There are many such examples in the valley. For some, it's become a real sport to wander through the villages in the lush green Alpine foothills and discover the architectural highlights. Small brochures called "Umgang Bregenzerwald" list the interesting objects in a total of twelve villages. Some also have information columns with QR codes. If the walk gets too long, you can hop on the local bus. And even take a break in one of the "bus shelters"!

The research was supported by Bregenzerwald Tourism.