Provost Residence St Gerold – Riding Hall, St. Gerold

After decades of decay, the St. Gerold’s Priory was carefully restored. Today it is a thriving cultural centre. After the renovation of the existing facilities, it was decided to expand the complex to include a riding school for people with both developmental and physical disabilities.

The new structure that houses the ridging school extends from the southwestern corner of the Priory framing the garden courtyard space. The large mono-pitched roof extends over the entire new building and gracefully follows the incline of the sloping hill. The interior of the hall is characterised by the sense of protected openness that is created by the commanding effect of roof and the large glass panels used on three sides of the building. The visitor doesn’t feel they are in an enclosed space because the building does not centre around one axes, instead it reaches outwards to the views of the surrounding trees and rolling hills.

“The elegant lightness of this wooden building has been achieved through the expert, optimal use of glass, steel and timber, working in harmony to deliver a sense of openness simultaneously with shrouded security and protection”.

Univ.-Prof. Arch. DI Hermann Kaufmann