sky centre stedim

The Hajla and Štedim Sky Centre is LCA Architetti's proposal for the base station of a new ski resort near Rožaje, Montenegro, at the foot of Mount Hajla (2,403 m), developed for a 2024 international design competition.

The aim was an iconic building closely tied to the mountain landscape. The volume has a pitched roof inspired by the outline of the peaks and reinterprets traditional mountain architecture. The north and south façades are almost fully glazed and frame the views, enjoyed from the top-floor restaurant and the ground-floor café with its terrace. A light truss bridge, in timber or steel, links the building to the chairlift without blocking the valley view or diverting the stream below.

The building has two parts: an exposed-concrete base with two underground parking levels for about 80 cars, plant rooms and snowplough garages, and a timber volume above. The ground floor holds the entrance, ski rental, visitor services and the café; the first floor offices, first-aid post, mountain rescue and kitchen; the second floor the panoramic restaurant. The garage roof becomes a sun terrace. All areas are accessible.

Above ground the building is prefabricated in CLT timber, glass and metal, clad in charred larch boards: faster construction, high precision and good seismic performance in an earthquake-prone area. Thermodynamic ventilation with a solar-powered heat pump and rainwater reuse aim for a self-sufficient, zero-emission building.