The view of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the unique mountain world with its many famous 4000-metre peaks make the Eggishorn the perfect location for an exceptional overnight experience.
In January 2020, Switzerland Tourism planned the ‘Million Stars Hotel’ campaign and was looking for spectacular rooms throughout Switzerland. The most important requirement: a clear view of the starry sky. ABAG decided to take part in the campaign and create a unique place to stay on the Eggishorn. It is not only the view of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the unique mountain world with its many famous 4000 metre peaks that make the Eggishorn the perfect location for an extraordinary overnight experience: far away from cities and other light sources, the stars shine particularly clearly here. Due to the exposed location, it quickly became clear that a tent or other lightweight construction methods were out of the question. So the idea of a living container was born, which was connected to the existing infrastructure of the Eggishorn mountain station. This meant that a hot tub could also be included in the plans, making the experience even more exclusive. A number of technical challenges had to be overcome before commissioning at the beginning of August 2020, which were further complicated by a number of coronavirus-related difficulties, such as delays in the delivery of the container.
The Cube Aletsch project:
In January 2020, Switzerland Tourism planned the ‘Million Stars Hotel’ campaign and was looking for spectacular rooms throughout Switzerland. The most important requirement: a clear view of the starry sky. ABAG decided to take part in the campaign and create a unique place to stay on the Eggishorn. It is not only the view of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the unique mountain world with its many famous 4000 metre peaks that make the Eggishorn the perfect location for an extraordinary overnight experience: far away from cities and other light sources, the stars shine particularly clearly here. Due to the exposed location, it quickly became clear that a tent or other lightweight construction methods were out of the question. So the idea of a living container was born, which was connected to the existing infrastructure of the Eggishorn mountain station. This meant that a hot tub could also be included in the plans, making the experience even more exclusive. A number of technical challenges had to be overcome before commissioning at the beginning of August 2020, which were further complicated by a number of coronavirus-related difficulties, such as delays in the delivery of the container.
The Cube Aletsch project:
- Substructure: The Cube Aletsch was placed on a substructure consisting of several layers of beams, which also serves as a terrace. As a result, no foundations had to be laid and the Cube will leave no traces when it is dismantled in the future.
- Transport: The living container was transported to the valley station on a lorry and prepared for the subsequent flight to the Eggishorn. Ventilation was fitted to the window panes to equalise the pressure so that they would not burst due to the pressure difference during the flight.
- Transport flight: As the supporting structure of the cube consists of a welded steel construction, it could not be dismantled for transport. The container, weighing around 2.7 tonnes, was therefore flown to the Eggishorn by a Kamov helicopter from HELISWISS INTERNATIONAL.
- Assembly on the mountain: Finally, the cube and the hot tub were placed on the prepared substructure and anchored.
- Water and waste water: Thanks to the chosen location, the fresh water, waste water and electricity could be connected to the existing infrastructure of the mountain station with little effort.
- Nice to know: The Cube is designed as a compact steel structure and therefore acts like a Faraday cage, which is connected to the mountain station's earthing system. Even during thunderstorms, guests are safe in the Cube.
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