Classic charm meets contemporary design
Carefully curated colours and finishes honour the building's Wilhelminian heritage
Nestled in the heart of Dortmund-Körne sits a 1905 apartment building, just minutes from the city centre. Of its three residential units, the ground-floor flat—roughly 85 m²—was recently renovated and reconfigured to suit a young family of three. The Dortmund-based firm Dans Architektur oversaw the interior redesign of this end-unit within a period row of similar apartment buildings. A front garden and generously proportioned rear garden frame the structure.
The first phase focused on optimizing the floor plan's spatial efficiency. By creatively repositioning the bathrooms, the architects satisfied the clients' key requirements: a naturally lit bathroom, a dedicated entryway closet, and kitchen storage. The original corridor-like bathroom was reconfigured into an internal guest WC and a utility closet accessible from the kitchen, while the family's generously proportioned primary bathroom now occupies the outer wall of the end unit.
Over 16 weeks, the Dortmund architects revealed the building's inherent character by carefully restoring floors, walls, and doors to their original patina. Hallway tiles were meticulously cleaned, and all wooden floorboards were professionally refurbished and sealed with a light finish—preserving the old building's authentic charm while maintaining structural integrity. The architects collaborated closely with the owners to select complementary bathroom tiles: sleek metro tiles paired with matte-finish cement tiles in grey create a seamless dialogue between past and present. A soft, consistent grey palette throughout the kitchen, living area, and children's room reinforces this restrained colour philosophy.
The original Wilhelminian-era skirting boards create a gentle transition between the restored flooring and modern wall finishes, mirrored by a complementary white line at the ceiling. Existing radiators and pale natural stone windowsills were preserved through careful cleaning and selective restoration, lending authentic character to the space. New fixtures and furnishings were chosen to integrate seamlessly into the existing fabric while introducing subtle contemporary touches that respectfully modernize the old building. A garden-facing expansion is planned for 2020.
(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 01|20)
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