Tilla Theus’ Aluminum-Clad Alpine Restaurant Looks Like a Star Wars Building Straight From Hoth

How do you build a restaurant 8,700 feet above sea level in the in the Swiss Alps? And what building materials are light and durable enough to brave the winter in the Alps? Swiss architecture firm <a href="http://www.tillatheus.ch/tillatheus.cgi?menu1=start">Tilla Theus</a> confronted these questions when designing the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/prefab-architecture/">prefabricated</a> Neubau <a href="http://www.tillatheus.ch/tillatheus.cgi?menu1=projekte;menu2=restaurant;menu3=weisshorngipfel">Gipfelrestaurant</a> (New Summit Restaurant) on top of the Weisshorn in Arosa, Switzerland.

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Tilla Theus modeled the design of the Gipfelrestaurant after the topography that makes up the mountain. The shell of the building is made up of anodized aluminum scales, which were manufactured by façade specialists Scherrer. Tilla Theus suggests that the skin of the building allows the building’s exterior to fit naturally into the rocks that make up the summit of Weisshorn....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/tilla-theus-hexagonal-aluminum-clad-restaurant-in-the-swiss-alps-looks-like-something-out-of-star-wars/'>READ ARTICLE</a>