The architects applied two strategies to integrate the new building withinthe local vernacular, the first of which concerns its siting and massing. The hall is set against the backdrop of a visually imposing rock and partially concealed by some of the existing buildings, including a single-story school building to which it links via an enclosed passageway. Moreover, the architects devised a stepped section by dividing the program into a main double-height volume and a single-story annex.
A second strategy employed to mitigate the contrast between new and old involves the façades. True to its designation as a signature building for the island community, the colorful paneling advertises its public function yet, it does not do so at the expense of the existing village. The architects developed a pattern of vertically arranged Swisspearl panels whose dimensions echo the timber cladding of the neighboring buildings. The design of the lower parts is restrained and limited to panels in black, gray, and taupe, which harmonize with the slightly protruding black aluminum frames encasing the vertical window slits.