Eclecticism doesn’t have to be playful: For a villa in the Swabian Alb, LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei cite architectural history without indulging. The large scale that stands in the open kitchen of the newly built villa draws the eye. It is a stainless steel model from the post-war period, as used in butcher’s shops, and […]
Eclecticism doesn’t have to be playful: For a villa in the Swabian Alb, LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei cite architectural history without indulging.
The large scale that stands in the open kitchen of the newly built villa draws the eye. It is a stainless steel model from the post-war period, as used in butcher’s shops, with a large pointer indicating the weight. The scales were produced in the immediate vicinity of their current location in the Swabian Alb. The righteousness and solidity that the scales radiate is something that they have in common with the new building, designed by LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei.
Despite its spaciousness, the villa has nothing ostentatious about it. It is prestigious, certainly, and also dignified. You don’t have to turn over a penny to live here. And yet there is also something of a large vicarage in the design. It is not just the color of the brick façade, but also a certain spirit that links the villa to the LRO diocesan curia in neighboring Rottenburg, a favorite building of the clients.
The architects based the basic layout on classic villa typologies. A basement level accommodates utility rooms. A wide open staircase leads up to the piano nobile on the valley side of the house, which is situated on a slope. It ends in a small loggia, which also forms the canopy for the entrance. The piano nobile is fronted on the valley side by a full-width outdoor seating area, which widens gently towards the middle. The main floor accommodates the large living and dining area with the open kitchen. The bedrooms are located on the floor above.
The two floors are connected by a staircase, which the architects have made a central design element of the house. They positioned it as an almost free-standing, semi-circular structure on the slope side of the villa. It borders the slope façade on one side, while on the opposite side a pergola takes over this task, leading to a garden pavilion. This creates an enclosed courtyard area between the stair tower and the pergola, which is largely occupied by an outdoor pool.
In terms of design, LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei cite the heroes of modernism on the exterior: Le Corbusier’s epoch-making Maisons Jaoul with their contrast of brickwork and exposed concrete elements, for example. Or Aalto’s curves on the outdoor seating area and stair tower. Then again, they use massive Tuscan pillars to support the concrete trellis of the arcade, oculus windows or they break up the plinth floor. All of these building elements point far back to the modern era and underline the fact that the architects see their work in a long line of historical tradition.
Inside, LRO limits itself to a few carefully chosen materials: Concrete ceilings, on which the traces of the wooden formwork are visible, and floors made of oak planks stand alongside white walls and fixtures. Selected materials and solid craftsmanship can be found everywhere. However, extravagance is only evident in the free-hanging Gyrofokus fireplace and the white leather lounge chair in the small library. And, of course, the kitchen scales, which look almost playful in this restrained environment.
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