Hospitality Design January - Buyer's Guide 2023 - 24

perspectives project breakdown
The former courthouse and women's prison, built
in 1896, was transformed into the 44-room hotel
Wrapped in ornate details, the old courthouse is
now home to Amtsalon, a multidisciplinary space
An art and culture hub, Amtsalon
hosts various exhibitions
An inviting fireplace is the
centerpiece of the lobby lounge
Serene guestrooms marry an off-white
palette with botanical artworks
" We felt there was a heavy shadow of German history here, " says
The latt er houses the guestrooms, spawned by the merging of two or
Almut, noting how World War II resistance fi ghters were sent to the jail.
The pair wanted to treat that dark legacy with sensitivity, acknowledging
it (one cell is preserved as a memorial) yet reshaping it into a new
narrative so that a location once steeped in deprivation and isolation
would become a destination equal parts serene and convivial.
The old courthouse, now dominated by Amtsalon, the art and culture
hub that hosts temporary exhibitions, welcomes Wilmina visitors into
the mailroom-turned-reception area. Beyond it lie swathes of lush
vegetation, including the central courtyard previously covered in asphalt.
Like all of Grüntuch Ernst's projects, Wilmina aims to bring " urban life
into direct contact with nature, " explains Almut. " The right side of the
pathway has been untouched by gardeners since 1985. You can still feel it
as a sett lement of its own. "
Found in what once served as the gated prison lock yard is Lovis,
the restaurant featuring Austrian hardwood, a bar tatt ooed in Japanese
ink, and expansive windows. A new-build extension craſt ed with bricks
sourced from the grounds makes way for an enclosed garden and forges a
dialogue between the courthouse and prison.
024
three cells, that are accessed by the heſt y original doors. New interventions
were limited because the buildings were protected " but wherever we saw
possibility, we did it, " says Almut.
This includes the removal of a fl oor slab to construct the lobby,
overlooked from the fi replace lounge on the mezzanine, and a freshly built
penthouse level enveloped in a shimmering metal chain curtain with roof
glazing that invites a stream of light down into the atrium. Splashing onto
brick and iron balustrades, it is buoyed by an installation of glass pendants.
Yet, " the biggest architectural strategy, " notes Almut, was the subtraction
of elements such as the staircase to accommodate the elevator, wrapped in
birch, that acts as " scar tissue. "
Given that " the building itself has such a strong character, " Almut
continues, the goal was to imbue the guestrooms with lightness, achieved
by melding a rejuvenating off -white hue with botanical artwork. Windows,
intentionally placed high to block the prisoners' views, were moved down
by the Grüntuch Ernst team, but the bars that subtly veil them are a
poignant vestige of the past. " It's nice, " says Almut, " to still be able to read
the small openings that used to be there. " hd
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Hospitality Design January - Buyer's Guide 2023

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