Villa Mauthe

A Villa Amongst Books and Art

On a very long and narrow plot of land at the foot of the Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, a home was to be designed for a family with a great passion for art and graphic design, being publishers themselves. The building should offer areas for family life and at the same time express the open and creative way of the family.

The idea of the design was to sort the property’s extreme proportions by using three lines: a tree line of old mature trees, a waterline drawn by a pool in the garden level and an art line that sorts the building.

The art line divides the building into a horizontal public space containing the areas for living, cooking and eating, and a vertical, private area with a library and office providing the family with an opportunity to retreat. Strategically placed skylights, running through just about the whole building, maximize the abundant daylight and lead from the entrance to the dining area. On winter evenings, the fireplace at the end shines bright, opening to two sides of the interior. The purist staircase in white shows a stunning view of the skylight. This is the axis which separates the horizontal and vertical area.

The living area at the end opens thanks to a high void to the top, giving space to an impressive pop-art-graffiti. Due to a vertical block the villa appears at this end to be a tower, housing the extensive library of art- and picture books which extends over 2 floors. A staircase leads to the office of the family on the top level. Down it leads to the garden level, where the private rooms of the children and parents are located. A water basin and a large terrace are placed infront of the private area.

Art is the central design theme of the villa. Thanks to the professional light planning the entire home is staged by directing both the daylight as well as the artificial light. Therefore the daughter enjoys producing her own works of art sitting at the dining table, underneath the “Zettel-Lamp” designed by Ingo Maurer. The main living spaces can be easily kept in order, thanks to functional planning. There are numerous storage rooms, a family wardrobe is positioned at the alley to the garage which ensures neatness in the lobby, and a backup kitchen allows cozy get-together with friends in a homelike atmosphere.

Even in the bathroom art is the characteristic element with the green, Brazilian natural stone plate adorning the wall. Even the guest bathroom is a space to surprise the visitors: Gold, as far as the eye can see, completely open to the sky.