Hostellerie am Schwarzsee: A magnificent view even in the most beautiful sunshine

Located in the idyllic high valley of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, the Hostellerie am Schwarzsee is a major ski destination during the winter, while in the summer, it is the hiking and sledging trails that attract guests. Year-round, the Hostellerie‘s modern and functional rooms and spacious wellness area make it the ideal location for small and large events, conferences, seminars and private celebrations. Additionally, the Hostellerie offers 50 suites of varying sizes and two on-site restaurants and a bar to accommodate the guest needs. Seven modernly designed meeting rooms for up to 250 conference participants are available for conferences and events, above all the large panorama hall, which alone can accommodate up to 200 guests.

Loss of comfort after the first renovation

During a renovation in 2017, the former Wintergarten was expanded into a hall for guests, featuring a large window that offers a spectacular view of the lake and the Alpine panorama. However, during the brightest hours of the day, customers were often impacted by the glare and heat of the sun. In their efforts to counteract the negative impacts of the sun, the Hostellerie considered a number of alternatives, including the installation of curtains. Unfortunately, all of the alternatives had the same disadvantage: they obstructed the view of the magnificent panorama. 

As a result, owner Peter Roodbeen decided to renovate the facade of the dining room again to prevent excess

daylight and heat from entering the space while still allowing guests to enjoy the impressive view in any weather. Furthermore, the renovation included the addition of another floor to accommodate two more meeting rooms Together with a large panoramic terrace, guests would be able to enjoy a comfortable stay with a view of the mountains at any time.

A glass that tints on a gradient

A solution was identified with dynamic glass from SageGlass. SageGlass Harmony tints automatically to control heat and glare, while providing optimal lighting conditions and unobstructed views to the outside, ensuring guests are both cool and comfortable. Additionally, Harmony's gradient tint provides a seamless connection to the exterior - from completely clear to completely tinted, with no harsh gradations. The result is an innovative glass system that allows for even more targeted control of daylight, color rendition, and heat and glare gain.

Installed in the hall as well as the conference rooms, SageGlass proved to be the ideal solution for the Hostellerie. The tinting adapts to external conditions and usage requirements and can be controlled manually or via an intelligent control system. For example, the glass in the new conference rooms can also be completely tinted for video projections.

No loss of comfort, no maintenance effort

"For me as an entrepreneur, the best thing is that you don't really have to do anything anymore," says Peter Roodbeen. "And most importantly, we have no more costs for maintenance, cleaning or repairs. That's very important to us, of course." Guests enjoy the view without sacrificing comfort and tend to congregate in Panorama Room due to the impressive views. The tint is perceived as very pleasant, partly because the light blue tone flatters the sky. "I always say it's like sunglasses that automatically tint. That's how the whole building works; it's a great relief for us. We're very happy with it," Roodbeen enthuses and laughs.

About SageGlass

SageGlass® is the pioneer of the world’s smartest dynamic glass. Electronically tintable SageGlass tints or clears automatically to optimize daylight levels while preventing heat and glare, without the need for blinds or shades. SageGlass delivers superior comfort, enhances occupant wellbeing and saves energy. As a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, SageGlass is backed by more than 350 years of building science expertise that only the world leader in sustainable environments can provide. Find out more at www.sageglass.com or on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain develops, produces and distributes materials and solutions for the construction industry, mobility sector, health sector and other industrial applications. These are the result of a continuous innovation process and can be found almost everywhere in our living spaces and our daily lives. They are convenient, effective and safe, and help overcome the challenges of sustainable construction, efficient consumption of resources and the fight against climate change. This strategy of responsible growth is based on Saint-Gobain’s purpose to “MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”: the shared goal of every Saint-Gobain employee to make the world a better and more sustainable place to live in everything they do.

EUR 38.1 billion in sales in 2020

Over 167,000 employees across 70 countries

Committed to achieving CO₂ neutrality by 2050

Find out more about Saint-Gobain at www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain

Pictures

The window front of the panoramic hall was glazed with SageGlass Harmony dynamic glass, which allows seamless transitions from fully clear to fully tinted. ©Adrien Barakat

The Hostellerie am Schwarzsee with its modern event rooms and spacious wellness area is recommended for small and large events, meetings, seminars and private celebrations. ©Adrien Barakat

The former winter garden of the Hostellerie was converted into a multifunctional panorama hall for up to 200 guests. Two seminar rooms with a roof terrace were built above it. ©Adrien Barakat

To ensure the panoramic view even when the sun is shining, the façade has been equipped with SageGlass Harmony, which guarantees automated glare-free vision all year round. ©Adrien Barakat

When the electrochromic glass is tinted, only the sun's rays are blocked - the incidence of daylight and the panoramic view of the surrounding nature are preserved. ©Adrien Barakat