Building land in the middle of the city is expensive. It was no different in the past than it is today. So it's no wonder that even the smallest plots were built on. And yet this house in Cologne, with the cathedral in sight, is a little out of the ordinary. Its six storeys are stacked on a 60 m² plot. Behind the neo-Gothic façade, temporary guests now live in eight apartments. But before the first individual travelers and groups could spend the night in the "statthaus - statt hotel", a lot of renovation work had to be done first. "The city conservator advised me before I bought it: 'As much as I'd like to see it restored ... don't do this to yourself'," says owner and planner Kristin Reuther-Mercurio.

Nevertheless, she bought the desolate house, which was scarred by the years and an aborted renovation. She restored the windows, some of which had been reduced in size in the 1970s, to their original size and uncovered the partially suspended ceilings. The stonemason chose sandstone of the same quality for the detailed restoration of the listed façade. After all, the material used for the original façade came from the same quarry from which the cathedral's stone was sourced. The friezes and capitals were renewed and the historic gable was retained, although the roof behind it had to be completely rebuilt. Inside, the shape and design of some building elements are reminiscent of the building's construction period. In terms of comfort, however, the 16 to 57 m² rooms have been brought up to date. Where the room height of up to 4.25 m allows, there are sleeping galleries. Other apartments are designed as maisonettes. Built-in wardrobes nestle in niches and provide short or long-term guests with storage space for necessities and non-essentials. Oiled oak floorboards give the rooms, each designed in a different basic color, a pleasant coziness. Kitchen lights reminiscent of cans or a storage compartment built into the side of a locker are evidence of the attention to detail. Simple bathrooms with white tiles and glass were easy on the budget, which is often stretched when renovating listed buildings. The attention to detail and the historic building fabric evident in this renovation not only delight the guests of this house, but also enrich the entire streetscape.

www.statthaus.de

Photos:

Patricia Banczyk
www.bewegende-momente.com

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 03|21)