The Wirthshube in Unterfederaun – inventory, analysis, revitalisation

The former Wirthshube is located in Federaun, a cadastral municipality of Villach at the exit of the Gail Valley in Carinthia. The building shows up for the first time in a portrait of count Hans Khevenhüller I, who lived between 1360 and 1425. The building was modified in the early 19th century in its actual appearance. Due to its location, which was of great importance in ancient times, mainly in terms of traffic and later as a border region, the building has been used for many years as a tavern and later as the main building of the Federaun estate. In 1940 the building finally became listed with a preservation order by the federal monument authority. With the strong industrial development of the surrounding area, the Wirthshube lost more and more of its importance. Due to the construction of the A2 motorway in the 1970s the building finally fell victim to vacancy. Over the last years the structure has been severely ignored and suffered serious damage due to lack of use.

The aim of the diploma thesis was to create an adequate concept for the renovation and repurpose of Wirthshube and to provide a draft proposal based on the inventory and documentation of the building, a historical analysis of the surroundings, as well as examination of the building history and structure, respecting the current standards and guidelines of monument preservation in Austria.