In Ingolstadt's old town, the Mühlbauer architectural firm has reimagined a 16th-century former city farmstead as a luminous residential ensemble. Behind the protected façade of the Thürwachterhaus, three apartments were carved from the main building, while a spectacular loft took shape in the former stable – all realized through close collaboration with heritage authorities and a refined understanding of both structure and space. The conversion exemplifies how historical buildings can transcend preservation: rather than simply conserving them, it shows how they might be thoughtfully reinterpreted and transformed. Plastic windows yielded to handcrafted wooden frames; historic building elements were retained, enriched, or subtly recast. Local records suggest that around 1762, Ignaz Schießl—gatekeeper of the nearby Taschentorturm—owned this property, a legacy preserved in the building's name. The current structure largely dates to 1902, when an additional floor was added to the main residence. Under the direction of architect Andreas Josef Mühlbauer—former city architect of Eichstätt and independent practitioner in Ingolstadt since 2000—working alongside his sons Alexander and Andreas, the two-story gabled house now presents a understated exterior: soft green textured plaster, white-framed windows, and a cornice marking the ground level. Inside the barn, likely added in the 18th century, the atmosphere shifts dramatically: exposed concrete, raw materials, and precisely calibrated light combine to create a serene, almost meditative quality.

The double-height space metamorphoses on the first floor into a contemplative sanctuary – part study, part co-working zone. The ground floor's functional areas equally commanded thoughtful design: the kitchen-dining space now flows seamlessly into the sun-flooded inner courtyard. A minimalist bathroom – featuring a flush floor shower and sculptural cubic washbasin – emerges as a refined spatial composition, while a glass block wall replaces the original garage entrance, diffusing light throughout. The sculptural concrete staircase steals the show: angular, raw, unapologetically linear. Its striking graphic presence plays against the exposed timber structure beneath the roof, where the bedroom settles into quiet repose. Completing the composition is the modest 20 m² inner courtyard. Bernese landscape architect Maurus Schifferli has reimagined it as a serene "Hortus Conclusus" – complete with a mulberry tree, climbing hydrangea, and minimalist concrete lounging and seating elements.

www.instagram.com/bueromuehlbauer

Photography:
Ralph Feiner
www.feinerfotografie.ch

(Published in CUBE Munich 02|25)