WHAT BETTER ILLUSTRATION of wood as a fire-resistant material than using it to build a fire station? Gsottbauer architects have built their modern take over two floors and clad the facade in silver spruce, giving a look that is typical of buildings in the rural parish of Gnadenwald in Austria.
The top floor of the fire station is a popular clubhouse built in cross laminated timber. The fire station proper and vehicle bays are made from reinforced concrete. The interiors on both the ground floor and upper floor have walls, ceilings and floors lined with silver spruce to give a spacious uniformity. The exterior is also clad in spruce panelling. Maintenance-free zinc has been fitted just to a few exposed sections of the roof.«
