Surrounded by decades-old trees, the glass building just outside Hamburg is the perfect example of architecture that fits in seamlessly with its natural surroundings – and how to create a way of living that is both functional and unusual.
The building needed to be unusual and imposing, yet still blend in perfectly with the surrounding countryside – that was the task presented to architects Holger Meyer and Christiane Terhorst. The result, built in the middle of a park-like plot outside of Hamburg, is a two-storey villa that is deliberately embedded in its surroundings while at the same time lending the exclusive edge the owners required for their residential needs.
Right from the start, lighting was an important consideration in the planning process. Some of the deciduous trees surrounding the villa are thirty metres tall. This limits the amount of light that reaches the building, so it needed to be as transparent as possible in order to make the most of that sunlight in the interior. At the same time, the owners wanted to be able to look out onto the decades-old trees from as many angles as possible. In order to achieve both these goals, large parts of the villa were constructed using glass, especially on the south side. The north side is dominated by red brick, while the south facade only uses this material sparingly in order to accentuate the building’s features.
Large glazed areas with no corner columns
The flat, L-shaped building has a protruding, single-storey kitchen area on the ground floor. This creates a courtyard surrounded by glass on three sides and transforms the open patio into a connecting element in the design. An ornamental tree in the centre of this area provides a vibrant contrast to the natural stone flooring.
Transparency also played a key role in the implementation of the spatial concept. Since the owners have a valuable collection of sculptures and paintings, it was important that the design allowed the art to shine. This was achieved using a two-pronged approach: subtle tones in the indoor areas and large, open spaces, combined with large cero sliding windows provided by German manufacturer Solarlux – most of which are 3.5 by 3.5 metres in size. The windows allow the owners and their visitors to view the art from many different sides, and have no corner columns to obstruct their perspective through the glass.
The cero sliding windows can be opened across a wide area, creating a seamless transition between the outside and indoor areas. And with their slender profiles, they also provide an excellent view even when closed. Last but not least, they emphasise the overall character of the building, every corner of which reflects a desire for freedom and transparency.