Keßler Plescher Architekten

Description

Just off the Baltic Sea coast, accessible only via very sandy and narrow paths, lies a small lake. Hidden behind the trees, a small thatched house stands directly on the shore. Built in 1958 by its namesake, the house now serves as a holiday home for Dr. Funk’s grandchildren. After more than 60 years of occupation, the house was to be renovated. The main goal was to create more space by breaking up the small-scale floor plan on a total area of only 38 square metres. The house was to offer space for its many guests in ever-changing constellations and numbers. The bedroom on the ground floor remains a separate room. All other functions are organised in a spatial layer that develops along the outer walls. At the entrance façade, this built-in unit, planned as furniture, is room-high and accommodates the cloakroom, storage space, WC and shower. This is followed by the kitchen, which merges into a room-wide bench in front of the window front that frames a direct view of the lake. The terrace, fireplace and walkway to the lake are accessed on the opposite side of the room. The centre of the house now forms a large open space as a place of gathering. The material palette is reduced: Reddish-brown and pink tiles were laid in an oversized diagonal chequerboard pattern and all fixtures are made of pinewood panels, contrasted by neon yellow freestanding furniture designed especially for the cottage.