Monte Rosa Hut
Location Monte Rosa Massif, Zermatt, Switzerland Architect Andrea Deplazes Architect ETH Zurich Completion 2009
The Monte Rosa Hut is a breathtaking mountain hut in Switzerland, located at an altitude of 2,883 meters on the Monte Rosa massif. The hut is a popular destination for mountaineers and hikers, offering spectacular views of the surrounding glaciers and mountains. Ever since I stumbled upon a picture of the hut in an article in 2018, this building has captivated me. Modern architecture embedded in the rugged high alpine landscape with a view of a glacier that forms a visual axis to what is probably the most famous mountain in the Alps, the Matterhorn. This hut ignited my fascination for architecture in the Alps and led to my most important independent photography project to date: Modern Alpine Architecture. Today, I'm taking you on a journey to this architectural marvel.
Ascent to the Monte Rosa Hut
There are several ways to reach the Monte Rosa Hut, but one of the most popular is to take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to the Gornergrat. This saves you the first major ascent from the valley and starts the hike with a great view.
The Gornergrat Railway is a cogwheel railway that has been taking mountain-enthusiastic tourists from Zermatt to the Gornergrat at an altitude of 3,089 meters for 125 years. Here you can experience the Alps barrier-free via the multimedia experience ZOOOM.
However, my assistant, my cameraman and I were drawn away from the tourist crowds into the silence of the mountains. This is where the real adventure begins. We are face to face with the majestic Monte Rosa massif. We begin our five-hour hike with a descent to the Gorner Glacier, which together with the Grenz Glacier forms the second largest contiguous glacier area in the Alps. Arriving at the edge of the glacier, we put on our crampons and join a second hiking group to form a rope team. The tension is palpable for all of us. After all, the crevasses to our left and right seem to go endlessly into the depths and often end in the ice-cold underground glacier stream, which can relentlessly drag you into the endless darkness of the glacier. At the key point, we cross a steep ice ridge with high concentration, which is sloping on all sides without a foothold. We are experienced mountaineers, but we had not yet ventured onto glaciers until then. Having arrived safely on the other side of the glacier, the tension is written all over our faces. But there is no time to rest. The sun will set in two hours and we still have several hundred meters in altitude to climb over a scree field before we reach the Monte Rosa Hut. I have been dreaming for over 5 years of finally standing in front of this great building and am fighting with all my strength against the onset of exhaustion. After all, I only have one night to capture all the images that have been floating around in my head for years.
Architectural photography on the glacier
Shortly before the hut, our group splits up. My cameraman and my assistant are at the end of their strength and take a break. They fly ahead with the drone to grab some shots before sunset. I sprint the last kilometers and arrive at the hut just in daylight. Backpack off, camera out and start shooting. Everything else is unimportant at this moment. Unfortunately, the light is not ideal. Clouds repeatedly obscure the sun and the harsh back light doesn't look good on the building either. Exhausted and disappointed, we move into our quarters in the mountain hut. There is a delicious meal with warm soup, main course and dessert. But I don't even notice that anymore. My gaze is fixed on the window and the changing light. In the middle of the main course, I jump up and run outside. The blue hour casts a magical cloak of light over the mountains and I hop from rock edge to rock edge in search of the best shooting angles. It's a magical atmosphere as the clouds clear and reveal a breathtaking starry sky. Blisters on my feet, hunger and cold are secondary. I don't want to miss a second in this place.
The alarm clock rings again at 04:30. Dawn will soon break and I want to capture the famous alpine glow when the first rays of sunlight bathe the mountain peaks in fiery red light. With a perfectly positioned camera, I waited for the right moment. Meanwhile, I used the time for a drone flight before sunrise and took one of my favorite pictures of the whole Modern Alpine Architecture series. Normally, alpine huts can only be photographed from the slope. This is nice to combine the hut with a great view. As an architectural photographer, however, I always try to document a building in anchorage with its direct surroundings. The drone image shows the hut as it grows crystal-like out of the scree field, framed by the glaciers of the Monte Rosa massif.
This picture has brought me among the top 10 architectural photographers in the world's largest photo competition, the Sony World Photography Awards. Approximately 150,000 photographers from over 100 countries take part in the competition and it is a great honor for me to have been nominated with a picture of the Monte Rosa Hut.
Architecture of the Monte Rosa Hut
The hut was designed by the Swiss architect Andrea Deplazes together with students from ETH Zurich and opened in 2009. The design of the hut is based on the surrounding rocks and glaciers and is very modern and functional. The facade consists of light, brushed aluminum, which reflects the surrounding landscape with its reflection and thus appears almost invisible in nature.
The Monte Rosa Hut is an impressive example of sustainable design and architecture. From its focus on wood and aluminum as sustainable building materials, to intelligent heat recovery, meltwater treatment, and solar panels in the building facade, the Monte Rosa Hut turns the challenge of self-sufficiency into a virtue and sets an exemplary standard in autonomous energy supply.
Urs-Peter Menti from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, which was involved in the project, explains the energy and building technology concept: "The consistently pursued holistic approach in the new Monte Rosa Hut makes it a showcase project. From the high-quality building envelope to efficient appliances and systems, to the linking of all components via intelligent energy management, all elements must contribute to achieving the ambitious goal of 90% energy self-sufficiency."
A very detailed article about the concept of the Monte Rosa Hut can be found on Heinze.de.
The hut can accommodate up to 120 people and is an important base for mountaineers and skiers in the region. The hut was built to withstand the extreme weather conditions in the Alps. The interior design is particularly noteworthy, focusing on the essentials and emphasizing the view through the large windows. The bedrooms are simple and functional, providing space for mountaineers' equipment.
A dream comes true
It's a tricky thing when dreams come true. Usually, you imagine the result to be rosier than it is. The Monte Rosa Hut has exceeded all my expectations. Great architecture in an impressive natural setting, a warm, inviting interior, a friendly hut team, delicious food, and a variety of illustrated books about the Alps. I achieved my goal on this tour: unique architectural photography in the Alps.
The longing for this place remains. I've heard that there are ski tours from Zermatt to the Monte Rosa Hut in winter. That sounds like a new adventure. Then I'll plan two overnight stays to soak in the panorama and find time to breathe.
For this time, I'm left with a brief and intense moment of impression and anticipation for the next project in the Modern Alpine Architecture Part II series.
Equipment
Camera
1st Lens
2nd Lens
3rd Lens
Tripod
Drone
Software
Hasselblad XCD 21mm f4
Gitzo Traveler Series 2 tripod
