Altes Gericht: Maple Calm and Light in a Historic Klausen Apartment
Altes Gericht lands inside Klausen, Italy’s listed Old Courthouse, where Stefan Gamper Architecture converts the upper levels into two compact apartments. The real estate type is apartment, but the project reads as a precise interior refit with a gentle hand. Under steep roofs and between old beams, the studio shapes calm rooms and puts every centimeter to work without noise or fuss.
Light slips through dormers and brushes the plaster. Under the steep roof, timber lines catch it and send a soft glow across pale wood.
Two compact apartments occupy the top floors of the listed Old Courthouse in Klausen, refit by Stefan Gamper Architecture with a restrained interior palette and precise carpentry. Each 45m² (484 sq ft) home leans on material clarity and quiet storage to hold daily life without clutter.
Quiet Materials
European maple and silver fir set a light, steady tone, their grain reading cleanly against beige‑gray textured plaster and measured white accents. The combination mutes visual noise, so edges and junctions feel crisp, while selective contrasts—a few sculptural, black‑lacquered chairs—add depth without breaking the calm.
Plan Tightens, Objects Recede
Rooms stack under sloping ceilings, threading between old beams and decisive wall lines. Built-ins hold generous storage almost invisibly, letting furniture shrink back so the room itself takes presence, and a neat rhythm replaces clutter.
Work Tucks Under Stair
Not a meter is wasted. The underside of the stair becomes an elegant workspace, fitted with the same pale wood and aligned lighting, so laptop, books, and small tools find a precise landing without spilling into circulation.
Framed Views, Soft Light
Historic window frames pick up a subtle gray, setting a clear edge to the townscape beyond. Two new dormers pull the eye to Branzoll Castle and the Säben Monastery, while twin loggias sit quietly within the roof, bright and introverted, catching greenery amid the dense old town fabric.
Calm Colors, Poised Contrasts
The palette stays disciplined so shadows do the visual work. Against the warm woods and quiet plaster, black chairs read almost sculptural, and select artworks by Anna Gamper step forward as measured counterpoints (more dialogue than decoration).
At day’s end, light thins across fir and maple, and the plaster takes on a hush. In rooms pared to essentials, the building’s history shares the stage with material tact, giving small apartments a clear, steady pulse.
Photography by Hannes Niederkofler
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