The area around the Herzogpark in Munich has retained a certain originality, despite the obvious prosperity of its residents. In addition to expensive del­icatessen shops, there are also long-established tailors, bakers, and butch­ers. Our client was able to purchase a double plot in a residential street, di­rectly along the Herzogpark. It sits in a row of four to five story residential buildings, most of which were built in the early 20th century. The task was to design an apartment building that reflected the unique location and met the highest living standards.

The building’s proportions, number of floors, roofline, and shape are based on the neighbouring buildings and correspond to the typology of the sur­rounding townhouses. We wanted to create living spaces that convey a feeling of generosity through their size, visual axes, and views. The lavish, almost extravagant, use of space makes walking through the apartments a pleasure. The intention was to create apartments in which one can breathe, in which one can feel sheltered but also free.

As soon as the front door is opened, there is a sightline through the entire length of the apartment. The very large living rooms take up the entire depth of the building. They have covered loggias on both sides, which become an extension of the interior thanks to folding glass walls. The floor plan consists of a room sequence with no corridors between the main rooms. The model here is the classic palazzo, but also the apartments in old buildings nearby, where one can walk from room to room without corridors. The floor plan is organized in such a way that one has several routes between different rooms. One can, to an extent, walk in a circle. This feeling is supported by the floor- to ceiling double doors.

The apartments on the two upper floors are oriented in three directions, so that the sun reaches deep inside the rooms throughout the course of the day. The basement, ground floor, and first floor were combined into two apart­ments across three levels. They function like two single-family houses with private gardens. In the high copper-covered roof are two attic apartments, that each take up the entire floor area.

The material concept extends from the two-storey entrance hall on the ground floor to the interiors of the apartments. Classic materials such as travertine and wood, copper and cast bronze were worked by hand in their most original form. Bathtubs and sinks have been hewn from solid travertine, while the railings are bronze cast in a bed of sand. The facades are finished with two natural lime plasters of different grains that celebrate the traces of hand movements during plastering.All these natural materials will acquire a natural patina with use and weathering. They are allowed to age.
While the apartments are generous horizontally, the staircase and entrance hall allow for vertical views. Walking up and down becomes a spatial expe­rience, characterised by airiness. In its own way, the architecture radiates both emotionality and refinement, and ultimately serves the same desires as the historically representative townhouse. We are convinced that the re­striction to a few very conscious and high-quality materials offer a far greater elegance and sensuality than abundance ever can.