Description

The crystalline shape of this urban villa follows the geometry of the plot and is embedded in the terrain, surrounded on three sides by a retaining wall. On the fourth side, a sunken level leads to a four-story glazed atrium belying the unique structure of this building and forming a common point of reference for all residents through which each unit can be accessed, one per side. The apartments are laid out over multiple levels connected by an internal staircase running from one corner to the next, wrapping around the central atrium like superimposed spirals. This interlocking relationship combines the advantages of shared living within a dense urban form with the conceptual characteristics of a freestanding home. The rooms of each unit are distributed over all levels throughout the building, providing views in all directions. Each unit has its own garage next to the entrance and a private garden plot.

The organizational uniformity in combination with the complex geometric shape facilitates a wide range of sizes, functions, and spatial situations. This results in double-height rooms, voids in the building corners where rooms overlap, as well as apartments that distribute eat-in kitchens and living spaces over two levels or connect them within a single room. One of the units is used as an office.

On the facade, the inner layers of the building are expressed by the varied finishes of the concrete surfaces accentuating the outline of each apartment, whereas the sculptural character of the entire building is emphasized by a free composition of openings.

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Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider with Eric Zapel (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fifth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2018.