In the heart of the pedestrian zone of the old town of Passau, Bavaria, a townhouse on Ludwigstrasse unveils its rich historical essence.
Built in 1928, the six-story townhouse once housed a butcher shop with a famous sausage cellar, serving as a popular meeting spot for residents of the baroque city of Passau. Today, as part of the listed ensemble of the old town of Passau, the residential and commercial building underscores its architectural significance.
Above the simple yet nostalgic-looking façade a guardian angel watches over the cornice, flanked by two obelisks, looking out over the city center to the bishop's residence and St. Stephen's Cathedral.
The sculpture was created in bronze by a Salzburg sculptor at the end of the 1920s in the style 'der Neuen Sachlichkeit'; its bullet holes are still reminiscent of the Second World War. As part of the modernization work on the top floor, in addition to the roof, the guardian angel was renovated, which again takes on the role of silent guardian over the newly designed 164 m² loft, the house, and the pedestrian zone.
Throughout the renovation, the interior walls and plaster were removed, and the old wooden beam roof was replaced with plates of cross-laminated timber. The exposed brickwork now reveals traces of wires, steam pipes, and chimneys, with these post-industrial scars ornamenting the elongated wall. Serving as a restored artifact, the now whitewashed wall poetically displays the passage of time and the evolution of its function.
The loft is developing into a bright, spacious living space. A series of wide glass doors in raw steel frames replace partition walls and enable a fluid spatial transition between the hallway, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. The new Art Deco loft doors expand the space through transparency.
A central key feature is a staircase made from one piece of metal folded under the skylight, which leads to the roof terrace and offers wonderful views over the city. A large circle made of expanded metal serves as a railing, adding lightness, unity, and direction to the space.
The industrial look is complemented by white brushed and oiled oak chevron parquet flooring, mounted on thin milled plasterboard with underfloor heating, adding a warm tone to the space. HEA beams hold the CLT ceiling and show the structural honesty of the renovations. Three old rafters were preserved, becoming a structural juxtaposition. Like relics of the past, old elements become part of the New. One of the doors with its original 'Werkbund' door-handle was carefully preserved, sandblasted, re-painted and re-installed in a modern framework and now stands like an artifact in the entrance hall.
Homogeneous 'Béton ciré' in Prussian blue, along with floor-to-ceiling glass and mirrors, dominates the decor in the bathrooms.
The interior awakens memories and stories from the past. The loft is a silent witness to the passage of time. The renovation pays homage to the monument, the patron saint and celebrates post-industrial craftsmanship in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement through reduced, modern elements. It reveals an exquisite blend of heritage and modernity, creating a space that sensitively highlights the stories of times gone by while inviting the promises of today.
As the guardian angel continues his vigil, the townhouse on Ludwigstrasse, with its renewed architectural spirit, stands as a testament to the enduring essence of Bourgeoisie Passau.
Operating in Singapore and Germany, the FACE team, led by Florian Schaetz, melds Asian lifestyle and functional design strategies. It creates a narrative of architecture that evolves with that of craftsmanship, showing the essential structural elements of the space. Every design element takes careful care of the historical essence of the Art Deco building. The Loft Ludwigstrasse is not just a renovation; it is a tribute to the spirit of the architecture and an appreciation of the historical setting. It is an actual proof of design that has been thought through down to the last detail, preserving history and, at the same time, creating new values.
