A single-storey, 60-metre-long residential bar – now that's something bold and refreshingly different. Naturally, it required the right site and equally visionary clients. Rising prominently in Schwabhausen along the Rothbach stream, the new building with its commanding gabled roof occupies the grounds of the former "Alte Post" inn, a heritage-protected structure. Once a busy gasthaus, it had been converted into residential apartments, and three of its tenants joined forces to realize this ambitious longhouse project. The design comprises three dwellings – two modest units anchoring the ends, and a generous central apartment. The structure appears to hover above a concrete plinth that cantilevers on all four sides, creating a continuous perimeter walkway. On the stream side, this platform extends in a dramatic semicircular arc beyond the embankment, while three steps at the rear provide access to each dwelling's entrance.

Designed by Alexander Tochtermann and Philipp Wündrich in 2021, when the two architects were still collaborating from a shared studio, this project demonstrates masterful spatial planning. The building's long sides are entirely glazed, requiring a robust exposed-concrete screen wall to shield the residence from street-facing views. The 45-degree pitched roof extends generously beyond the façade line. Twenty-one precisely aligned wall panels organize the individual units and living zones. Some walls consist of solid wood, forming continuous partitions; five are exposed concrete with intentional angles and curves. The sequence begins with an entrance zone, followed by progressively more private rooms – like pearls on a string. There's no traditional corridor; instead, spaces flow directly from one to the next in a deliberate progression: kitchen, living room, dressing area, bathroom, and finally bedroom. Several rooms feature mezzanine levels, capturing the full 5.5-metre height to the roof peak. The richly grained timber walls serve as partition walls between units and extend visibly beyond the façade, making the structural logic legible from outside.

www.alexandertochtermann.com
www.philippwuendrich.com

Photography:

Mikael Olssson
www.mikaelolsson.se

(Published in CUBE Munich 02|23)