Łąkowy Kamień Villa (Wiesenstein)
The villa was called ‘Burg zu Schutz und Trutz’ (‘castle against enemies and all evil forces’) by Gerhart Hauptmann. Designed as a panoramic villa, the residence is located on a gentle southern slope on an east-west axis in picturesque surroundings.
Architect Hans Grisebach created a residential building – a detached townhouse, but located in a rural mountain landscape with a representative entrance hall over 9 metres high as a typical element of its architecture.
Construction began on 25 June 1900, when the foundation stone was laid, and was completed in August 1901. The cost of construction was 201,000 marks. In February 1902, the construction bills still amounted to approximately 55,000 marks and remained unpaid.
The villa’s design featured modern solutions such as concrete ceilings, coke-fired central heating and, somewhat later, electricity.
The building is characterised by rich ornamentation and attention to detail, which is typical of the historicism movement. In the Łąkowy Kamień villa, one can see neo-Renaissance elements on the facades and neo-Gothic elements in the interior on the ground floor, which coexist harmoniously.
In addition, the building has all the elements characteristic of villas designed by the architect – with loggias or bay windows, balconies, massive gables and round towers with onion domes, tiled roofs and stone plinths.
Does the building (and its interior) bear the influence of Gerhart Hauptmann?
Gerhart Hauptmann wanted to influence the design of the villa, and gave Hans Grisebach some sketches of his concept, which Grisebach took into account to some extent. However, a comparison with other buildings by the architect suggests that Grisebach clearly used solutions he was familiar with to achieve the effect desired by the writer. The architectural language elements are similar to those in his other projects. These include: an asymmetrical ground floor plan, façades with massive, decorated gables, circular towers, and the use of a wide range of building materials that give the houses a typical Neo-Renaissance colourfulness. These are typical features of the Neo-Renaissance style.
Another characteristic feature is the tall composition of the façade – with rectangular or semicircular windows topped with wrought-iron grilles with floral motifs. The largest windows, varying in size, are in Hala Rajska, which adds dynamism to the building.
The villa’s structure is based on solid granite foundations, which ensure the stability and durability of the building.
The complex roof is covered with red ceramic tiles, and its sloping surfaces are decorated with dormers and bay windows, which not only serve an aesthetic function, but also a practical one – they allow for ventilation and lighting of the rooms in the attic and loft.
The park surrounding the villa, designed to harmonise with the architecture and the landscape, was and is full of plants, emphasising the natural beauty of the place. Terraces, granite rocks, a pond, paths and benches made of natural materials, and small garden architecture integrated into the landscape are additional elements of the villa’s surroundings.
Interiors and furnishings
Even in Gerhart Hauptmann’s time, the villa was not only the writer’s home, but also a creative centre, archive and museum, as well as a meeting place for writers, painters, musicians and intellectuals.
As Hauptmann was an avid collector, he filled the entire house with collections of art and crafts and, of course, books, reflecting his aesthetic and literary passions. The Łąkowy Kamień villa had been in existence for over 40 years when the collection of works, replicas and ordinary interior furnishings was documented in 1942 in the 252-page Liegnitz Catalogue (Liegnitzer Katalog) by Wolfgang Scheffler, containing a list and descriptions of the objects.
The space of the villa was organised in a way that promotes both intimacy and social gatherings. The focal point of the interior is the spacious Paradise Hall (Paradieshalle), with ceilings over 9 metres high and large windows that let in natural light, allowing visitors to admire the architectural details and polychrome decoration. The walls are decorated with subtle ornaments, and in the past there were also paintings and sculptures here. The Paradise Hall covers two floors and connects the ground floor with the first floor. Stairs with wooden balustrades lead to it and to the gallery. Such an extensive staircase created an area used not only by the household members, but also, for example, for receiving guests.
Structural elements
Historicism as an architectural style at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries did not reflect the technical capabilities and inventions of the time. A distinctive feature was the often excessive focus on ornamentation and symbolism. Forms borrowed from Gothic or Renaissance defensive structures were transferred to the designs of bourgeois houses.
The architect of the Łąkowy Kamień villa introduced concrete and steel elements into the structure of the building. He concealed them under the cover of a historicist form. The use of concrete in load-bearing elements, such as columns and ceilings, ensured the structure’s adequate load-bearing capacity and flexibility.
The interior features an arcade structure, barrel vaults in the side rooms and basements, and Klein ceilings on the terraces, i.e. flat ceilings consisting of steel beams and solid brick slabs reinforced with steel rods and cement mortar.
The star vaults, such as those in the former library room, refer to the Gothic tradition. However, they have only a symbolic and decorative function, not a structural one.
The freedom in the use of historical styles visible in the architecture of the Łąkowy Kamień villa is an example of eclecticism, an attempt to create new values using old motifs. The aim was to achieve an effect of diversity and decorativeness.
Bibliography:
Claudia Kromrei, ‘Hans Grisebach. Ein Architekt und sein Werk’, Niggli, Salenstein 2020