While most destinations offer themselves willingly, a few must be earned. The On Mountain Hut belongs to the latter, a temporary minimalist eco-cabin designed and built by the Zurich-based running brand On as an architectural ode to the majestic landscape which inspired the formation of the Swiss brand.
Photo: Gregory Han
Situated in Engadin, Switzerland, between the imposing granite-clad Piz Lunghin mountain and Lunghin pass, just getting to the On Mountain Hut requires a 2-hour ascent across technical alpine terrain to reach its doorstep. Gilded by alpine flowers and crowned by flowing clouds ? with the occasional curious audience of emo-coiffed dairy cows judging from a distance ? the trail zig-zagging to the remote hut offers visitors a silent step-by-step narrative of the motivations and inspirations that gave birth to the brand and now their mountainside dwelling. The trip up also offers opportune conditions for On to demonstrate their new Cloudrock Waterproof hiking boot, their latest footwear engineered to be 35% lighter than comparable hiking footwear. “We wanted the hut to be the perfect place to enjoy the Alps in all their glory. A place to switch off and reset away from daily life, representing our love of these mountains and also our love of design…a place to go back to the source,” says On co-founder Caspar Coppetti, “Our company was conceived while the three of us [with co-founders David Allemann and Olivier Bernhard] were hiking toget...