Weidendom — Marcel Kalberer & Sanfte Strukturen, Gesäuse

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💡 4 things to know

1. Planned by a willow-building pioneer
   The park’s fact sheet says Marcel Kalberer, born in Switzerland in 1960, developed the technique of “living willow rod construction” in 1988 and planned the Weidendom with park staff in winter 2003/04. The builders’ own project page lists him among six project leads, with Dorothea Kalb-Brenek, Bernadette Mercx, Peedy Evacic, Jacky Roland and Philippe Rohner. Source Source Checked
2. Three weeks in May 2004
   Sanfte Strukturen gives the build as 3–21 May 2004. Volunteers, schoolchildren, Styrian State Forest workers and park staff helped, and each willow bundle went into a planting hole up to 1.20 m deep. Before the build, the park’s spring 2004 magazine thanked Vienna’s forestry office for thousands of rods from old pollard willows in the Vienna part of the Donau-Auen National Park. Source Source Source Checked
3. Worn out, then replanted in 2025
   On 21 April 2025 the park wrote that after more than 20 years “Wind, Schneedruck und der Weidenbohrer haben an seiner Substanz gezerrt” (wind, snow pressure and the willow borer have tugged at its fabric). In the first weeks of April, Anna Kalberer and Peedy Evacic of Sanfte Strukturen built the new dome with park staff, volunteers and the Junior Rangers; the park’s Martin Hartmann said Kalberer’s daughter Anna and his grandson planted it. A photo caption adds that the new structure was meant to carry heavier snow loads. Source Source Checked
4. Cinema and a press conference under willow
   The park’s free summer program in July and August includes “Kino im Weidendom”, films under the open sky, and in 2023 it ran its tenth summer of cinema at the Weidendom. On 29 May 2026 the Gesäuse’s first joint summer press conference met “in den neu gestalteten Weidendom” (in the newly redesigned Weidendom). Source Source Checked

📍 Where it is

🗓️ Sightings

1. 2004May

   Built 3–21 May · Sanfte Strukturen

2. 200430 Jul

   Workshop inside opens · park magazine

3. 201429 Apr

   Ten years growing · park press release

4. 20145 May

   Photo of the first dome (Commons)

5. 202022 Jun

   Photo: grown dense (Commons)

6. 202521 Apr

   New dome planted · park press release

7. 202525 Apr

   Rebuild finished · MeinBezirk

8. 202629 May

   Press conference in the dome · Gesäuse press release

9. 202617 Jun

   Minister visits before the opening · MeinBezirk

10. 20265 Nov

    Photo: new dome, leafless arches (Chronolog)

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Makers

Marcel Kalberer and the Sanfte Strukturen team, with Gesäuse National Park staff Source Source Source Checked

2025 dome

Anna Kalberer and Peedy Evacic of Sanfte Strukturen, with park staff, volunteers and the Junior Rangers Source Source Checked

Title

Weidendom (German for “willow dome”); the park’s English material calls it the Willow Dome Source Source Checked

Designed

Winter 2003/04 Source Checked

Built

3–21 May 2004 Source Source Source Checked

First-dome year

The park’s April 2025 press release quotes Martin Hartmann: “2005 errichtete der Weidenbaupionier Marcel Kalberer unseren ersten Weidendom” (in 2005 willow pioneer Marcel Kalberer built our first Weidendom). We lean to 2004: the builders’ record, the park’s fact sheet, its autumn 2004 magazine and Ö1 all give May 2004, and in April 2014 the park said the dome had been growing for ten years Source Source Source Source Source Source Conflicting

Opened

The research workshop inside opened on 30 July 2004, at the “lange Nacht des Weidendoms” (long night of the Weidendom) Source Checked

Floor area

About 300 m² of event space under several main and side domes (first dome, 2004) Source Source Checked

Domes

Five tower-like domes, the largest 8 × 6 m in plan and 9 m high, according to Ö1 (first dome) Source Reported

Willows

White willow, osier, hybrid crack willow and purple willow (first dome); no source lists the 2025 dome’s willows Source Checked

Rebuilt

First weeks of April 2025 Source Source Source Checked

Size claim

Called “das größte lebendige Bau(m)werk des Alpenbogens” (the largest living building of the Alpine arc) by the park in 2014 and Austria’s largest living building in 2004; Styrian tourism’s cycling site repeats “the largest living construction in the Alps” Source Source Source Reported

2026 changes

In 2026 the park called the dome “neu gestaltet” (newly redesigned) and spoke of a “Weiterentwicklung” (further development); its news item of 15 June 2026 says the minister visited “noch vor der offiziellen Eröffnung” (before the official opening). MeinBezirk’s headline called it “erweitert” (expanded). No source we found says what was added, who did the work or when the opening took place Source Source Source Unconfirmed

Address

Krumau 97, 8911 Admont (park website, for satnavs) or Krumau 62, 8911 Admont (park folder, April 2026). Both come from the park; we lean to the newer folder Source Source Conflicting

Access

Open all year; staffed program May to October, 10:00–18:00 on set days Source Checked

Run by

Gesäuse National Park, as its Weidendom visitor center Source Source Checked

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Last checked: 10 November 2026. How we verify art