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Der Blick auf die Nordostfassade des Gebäudes lässt Eiermanns Begeisterung für die japanische Architektur erahnen. • The view of the north-east façade gives an idea of Eiermann’s enthusiasm for Japanese architecture.

Grundriss Gartengeschoss • Ground floor plan Grundriss Obergeschoss • Upper floor plan

appearance. The interested parties were quickly able to make a purchase decision and ned up a whole new perspective on his work for me. For the sensuality and cosiness
the renovation was initiated – with the aim, of course, of preserving the character of the also depend very much on the colours and materials of the surfaces that are hardly
architectural monument and, at the same time, meeting the requirements of the users. expressed in the black-and-white pictures by Horstheinz Neuendorff. A pleasant ten-
A restorative examination as well as a detailed study of the original documents from sion is created in the house through a permanent exploitation of contrasts. The clarity
the time of origin, which research in the Southwest German Archive for Architecture of the structure and the floor plans contrast with the playfulness of the ceramic floors.
and Civil Engineering (SAAI) at the KIT in Karlsruhe brought to light, provided important The closedness on the street side is contrasted with extreme transparency towards the
findings. In the communication between him and his site manager Huppert, it beco- garden. Heavy elements such as the concrete stairs meet filigree steel constructions or
mes clear how important even the smallest details were to him. the sail-like sunshade elements in the façade and entrance area. Cold materials such as
brick and concrete complement the warm colours and tactile surfaces of Oregon pine
Careful renovation and restoration of a unique building of the furnishings and windows to form a coherent whole. The extreme transparency
towards the garden allows one to live in and with nature, to experience the seasonal
Entrance situations, thresholds and transitions as well as the access elements in the changes. Perhaps this is why Eiermann has completely dispensed with the use of gut-
house and garden are virtually ritualized. A multitude of details were designed espe- ters. In heavy rain, a curtain of water envelops the houses. The asymmetry of the archi-
cially for this house. Some later brickwork was removed again to restore the original, tecture and details such as the latticework in the façade or the garden designed with
more open sequence of rooms. The surfaces – such as those of the ceramic floors round stepping stones, indicate Eiermann’s enthusiasm for Japanese architecture – he
– were freed from their patina. Only in individual interiors was Eiermann’s concept had often refered in his lectures to the book The Japanese House by Tetsuro Yoshida. I
deviated from: We decided to keep the walls and ceilings, which he had finished in a would describe the project in Baden-Baden as a highlight of my professional life; rarely
dark shade of grey, in the white chosen by the previous owners. Some of the original have I seen a building that affected me in such a way. Moreover, it was a pleasure to
furniture was purchased at auctions and returned to the house. New fixtures such as see that the building lives on and does not remain in a museum-like state. It is always
those in the dressing room, hallway and bathrooms were added carefully and reversib- a difficult tightrope walk to find a balance between the necessities of monument con-
ly. The heating system was replaced by modern technology and the electrical installati- servation and the needs of those who inhabit such properties. But I believe that this
on was completely renewed. The intensive study of this building by Eiermann has ope- has been achieved very well in the case of the house at Krippenhof.

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