Atelier ST: Faktorenhaus Schönbach - best architects 22

Atelier ST

Faktorenhaus Schönbach

best architects 22

renovation and addition

Place

Schönbach, Germany

Photos

Robert Rieger

Description

The small village of Schönbach is surrounded by the beautiful natural scenery of the Upper Lusatian Highlands landscape conservation area. The Faktorenhaus in Schönbach was built around 1785 as a prestigious residential and commercial building with a half-timbered structure. The entire Faktorenhaus is listed as an important cultural monument. Against this background, the overriding aim was to preserve the original look of the Faktorenhaus, but to update it in a contemporary way with a design adapted to the new uses. The ground floor, a semi-public area, houses a foyer, cloakroom, toilets and seminar rooms under its historical cross and barrel vaults. However, the blockhouse still remains the heart of the building. Retaining its historical structure, it has been converted into a pleasant guest room with an open kitchen and fireplace. The existing and the new complement each other and form a natural unity. The building remains a half-timbered house, but one that is of the here and now.