Hotel Pino Nature: A Harmonious Blend of Tradition and Innovation

Studio ZEC's Award-Winning Design Breathes New Life into Bosnia's Mountain Landscape

The design of Hotel Pino Nature was driven by the objective to create recreational, hospitality, and restaurant/bar contents in a non-urban, mountain ambiance. The hotel is situated between the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the famous mountain Trebević, a location of the Winter Olympics held in 1984. The restaurant/bar area was designed for both large events and everyday small-scale use, respecting a tight construction schedule and a reasonable budget.

Studio ZEC's design approach was rooted in the responsible way of building on a mountain, adapting to climate and geographical conditions. The steep spikes on the facade are an interpretation of the roofs of mountain village houses and the silhouettes of pine trees. The main building volume rests on a stone-cladded base, citing tradition and the tripartite division of the composition of the object - legs/body/head - stone/wood/glass. The support structure of the building is made of reinforced concrete, creating a dualism with the warm wooden surfaces.

Hotel Pino consists of two bodies: a primary horizontal cube housing public facilities, and a vertical volume – the tower, which contains exclusively guest rooms. The circulation of guests dominates in the main cube that contains an access point, a spa with a swimming pool, conference rooms, kid playrooms, and a restaurant. Guest rooms are located along the perimeter of the main building and receive daylight through the addition of roof spikes.

The project began in 2013, with the construction phase ending in fall/winter 2015. The venue opened at the end of 2015. Hotel Pino is situated on the slopes of Mount Trebević at 1070 m altitude, built on the ruins of Sarajevo's favorite hiking resort – Prvi Šumar (in English: First Forester), ten minutes by car from the city center. It has been featured on local and international shows and was a finalist in the European hotel design award, London 2016.

The design of Hotel Pino Nature faced several challenges. The hardest part was striking a balance between complex form, functional space, and a reasonable budget. It was also a great challenge to bring warmth and intimacy into a large structure. The solution lay in the subdivision of a large interior into smaller, human perception appealing but connected sceneries. The project's success is evident in its accolades; it was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2017.