Wildpark Ernstbrunn

Karl Gruber's firm, 4juu Architekten, has repeatedly demonstrated bold design choices. One example is the new entrance building of the Wildpark, located in the densely forested surroundings of Ernstbrunn Castle.

Product: Gran Paradiso
Architecture: 4juu architekten | Karl Gruber
Photo Rights: Mareiner Holz © Katarina Pashkovskaya
Project Address: Lower Austria, Austria

At Wildpark Ernstbrunn, visitors can experience more than just timber wolves and other wildlife—there’s also impressive architecture to admire. The ticket office, shop, and cafeteria are all housed in a sleek, elongated wooden structure that appears to hover in the middle of the forest, like a landing spaceship with a red-tinted exterior. This striking surface, along with the underside of the ceiling, is crafted from thermally treated and color-coated Mareiner Gran Paradiso panels. The red hue precisely matches that of the Wildpark logo and is the result of meticulous craftsmanship from our wood refinement workshop in Sankt Marein. It took three rounds of sampling to achieve the perfect color tone. Now, it contributes to a deliberately set contrast between the man-made façade and the naturally growing wood of the surrounding trees.