The Tannerhof in Bayrischzell continues to grow—while staying true to itself. More than a decade after the last major renovation, a new building has emerged that feels both minimalist and complex. In conversation with owner Burgi von Mengershausen and architect Florian Nagler, it becomes clear: this isn't about spectacular gestures, but about the essentials.
A long shared history and values in collaboration
How does it feel for you to complete a new project at the Tannerhof?
Burgi: It's truly moving. We've known each other since 2007 and completed our first major project in 2011. After all that time, the moment came to continue with the bathhouse—originally conceived as the second phase of that major redevelopment. In the end, it turned into something entirely different, but something truly wonderful and deeply touching. I couldn't be happier about it.
Florian, you are the architect for the entire project. How does it feel for you?
Florian: The Tannerhof is truly a special project because, as Burgi just mentioned, we've been working alongside them for so long. Last time, it took four years from our first meeting to completion. This time, too, we took our time and weighed up many different options. I'm so pleased that we ultimately arrived at the exact solution we've now built. This building is simply a wonderful fit for the Tannerhof.
What was the appeal for you back then to start the Tannerhof project?
Burgi: Having fantastic clients, of course, right? (laughs)
Florian: Building is a matter of trust. When you embark on a project together, the chemistry between everyone involved has to be right. You need to feel that you share common interests and are working towards the same goal—and I felt that very early on. Then it turns into a truly wonderful brief, especially in such an exceptional landscape. The existing site was challenging: a building with a hundred-year history, continually expanded and adapted over the decades. For me, the crucial question was: How do we build in rural areas today? How do we create something that belongs in a country setting without pretending it wasn't built in the here and now?
The existing site was challenging: a building with a hundred-year history that had been continuously expanded and developed over the decades.
What shared values connect you?
Burgi: Being free from conventions and having the ability to think outside the box. That connects us deeply. Developing something new, like the idea back then of building towers instead of a few cabins. That was exciting: building upwards without sealing more ground. Then there's our shared love of wood as an incredible building material, our appreciation for simplicity, and the principle that "less is more." We share all of that.
It’s just as important to us to develop things together. We didn’t train in hotel management; we’re actually doctors. And for you, Florian, it was exciting because you said, "I haven’t done a hotel before." So we both stepped into something new where we could learn together. And, not least, we are also connected by our sense of humor.
Florian: You also have to be able to laugh at yourself. That's really essential. Together—that hits the nail on the head. We genuinely want to embrace what the other brings to a project. But at the Tannerhof, it's something special: looking back, you can honestly say it never would have turned out this way without the clients. As an architect, you can't simply "give birth" to a project like this on your own; it evolves through dialogue.
From a grand plan to the essence - the art of omission
Burgi, when was the moment you felt: it’s time for something new again?
Burgi: That was around 2018. We had completed the first renovation in 2011, and even back then, the plan had always been to renovate and enhance the bathhouse as a second phase. Even at that stage, we were already wondering whether an outdoor pool might be nice.
So, we started playing around with ideas again, and over the years, more and more was added. At one point, we even thought about making changes to the east wing of the Neue Tann and wondered if we still needed the indoor pool at all.
Everything was already planned out until a pandemic slowed us down. Then came further crises, material shortages, and enormous cost increases. At some point, we were faced with an overall concept that was no longer affordable. So, we pulled the plug.
In the end, what we have here is the essence of all those grand plans, which we have now implemented. And I am very happy about it because it feels right and is simply "Tannerhöferisch."
With projects like these, you sometimes need time to check: Does this still actually suit us?
Florian: The essence is good, and I'm really glad that a lot of what we planned along the way was never built. It was a bit like reducing a sauce—getting smaller and smaller, more and more fitting. Sometimes having a limited budget is actually a blessing: it forces you to think twice about what you truly need, so you build only what is essential and meaningful. On the door to the farm shop, there's a phrase: "Mankind, become essential." I've always kept that thought in the back of my mind throughout our projects here.
How did you come to use the "Harpfe" as a starting point?
Florian: As I understand it, the harpfe has its roots in agriculture: a wooden frame traditionally used for drying hay or storing other goods—an open structure topped with a protective roof. I think the idea came from Roger. He had always wanted a harpfe, and I thought it was a lovely concept, too.
With the harpfe, we actually started out entirely minimalist: just the roof. Step by step, other elements were added, like the lovely relaxation room or the sauna on the other side. Yet the whole structure has retained the feel of an open framework with a sheltering roof—a striking presence in the landscape.
Burgi: We have had a long connection with harpfes. We first discovered them in Carinthia and East Tyrol. Archaic structures that sit so naturally in the landscape, never overpowering or obscuring nature, but rather enhancing it. That's precisely what we achieved here: architecture that deepens the experience of nature and creates new perspectives.
A look into the future
Burgi, is the Tannerhof project complete for you now?
Burgi: The Tannerhof is never truly finished. It's an ongoing process and a multi-generational endeavour. We're now the fourth generation here, and it will keep evolving. Once we had stripped the design back to the essentials, it was our son Jonas who said: "You absolutely have to include fitness rooms. If you don't, you're being completely foolish." And he was right.
For the next generation working and active here, there will always be new tasks: huts need to be renovated, rooms updated. Alongside the architecture, the topic of energy is, of course, very important for positioning the Tannerhof for the future.
I hope that our guests will be touched in the same way I am.
When the project is finished and the first guests use it—what is your wish?
Florian: Honestly, I don't have any specific wishes. You don't necessarily have to set out to achieve something particular with your buildings. People are so varied, and they experience spaces in completely different ways. Naturally, it would be wonderful if they feel comfortable and experience it as an enrichment of the Tannerhof.
Basically, it is something small: a wall, a few rooms behind it, a wooden frame in front, and a swimming pool. Nothing huge or spectacular. But it creates and provides an incredible number of different situations. For example, I am sitting here in the relaxation room now, watching the clouds drift over the mountain—you could sit here for hours.
Despite all the reduction, a multi-layered project has emerged in the end.
Burgi: My wish is that our guests are moved in the same way I am. Just to sit here, to be present—without consciously realising what's happening to you. Simply looking out and thinking: "Wow, this is so beautiful. How wonderful that places like this can still exist."
