Residential Addition and Alteration Plans-Potential Residential Remodeling

摘要

The theme of the houses and villas introduced in the previous issue of (a+u 18:05) was the Raumplan. The Raumplan is a method for achieving rich interior sequences by constructing a simple overall configuration through a combination of volumes optimized for each room. It was described earlier how the pursuit of economy was evident in the spatial arrangement of Loos's early buildings. To a certain extent it is also evident in his renovations and expansions of existing buildings. The exteriors of villas and houses designed by Loos are, with the exception of the placement of openings, severely limited in their range of expression. Therefore, new designs tend to converge on certain type of exterior. But his renovations and expansions of existing buildings often leave the characteristics of the existing exterior unchanged. Projects where it is especially difficult to discern the renovation from the exterior include Villa Douschnitz (See pp. 26-31) and Villa Mandle (See pp. 32-35). Both were altered significantly by adding volumes to the existing spaces, but aside from the terrace at Villa Mandle it is almost impossible to discern the changes from the outside. Other projects, such as Villa Straesser (See pp. 36-41), Villa Reitler (See pp. 42-43), and Baimmel House (See pp. 44-49), while involving expansion of exterior as well as interior volumes, take care to present the appearance of a smooth and newly finished exterior. Villa Strasser in particular underwent dramatic changes to both interior and exterior, so that is it hardly an exaggeration to call it a new residence. With respect to floor plans, Villa Mandle already displays the characteristics of a Raumplan, for example in the sequence from the entrance to the hall, and the gallery located midway up the stairs that seems to look down from the top of the hall. Villa Strasser, which is described as the first Raumplan in Kulka，s edition of Loos's works (Adolf Loos, Das Werk des Architekten, Wien: Anton Schroll, published in 1931)， develops a series of spaces across level differences to produce a sequence rich in variety. Villa Reitler displays an awareness of Raumplan ideas in the level difference between study and living room, and in the access to the upper floor via the study. Villa Douschnitz and Brummel House are developed mainlyas flat floor plans and in character are close to redecoration of existing apartment interiors. However, both works stand out for the richness of their finish, especially in the symbolic use of marble in walls and columns, which in an extremely attractive way conveys a certain sense of eternity. The atmosphere of these spaces is representative of Loos's philosophy that some stories can be told only in interiors. The special characteristics of these interior plans will be described in a separate chapter (See pp. 50-51).