Eleven budding architects, one large project: to breathe new life into the dilapidated Schloss Wiehe in the picturesque Unstrut Valley. Duravit is supporting the renovation project which will enable the ambitious architecture students to put their visionary ideas into practice and restore the listed stately home to its former glory.
The first documentary evidence for Schloss Wiehe, located in Thuringia, dates back to before the year 800. Over time the former castle has become a symbol of the region. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, no investor was found for the increasingly decaying building. The town of Wiehe bought the listed stately home and is collaborating with architecture students from the Erfurt University of Applied Sciences. Working together, they intend to make the old building usable again with the aim of it becoming a venue for conferences and all manner of celebrations.
A milestone for the architecture students from Erfurt will be to develop and realize a concept for one- to two-bedroom ensuite rooms. The students’ project, bearing the project name “Musterzimmer #.02” (sample room #.02), combines the convenient yet space-saving use of the room niches with the installation of slender steel furniture. By doing so, the future architects combine minimalist geometry and contemporary architecture with the building’s historical character. Perfectly in tune with this, the planners opted for the precise forms and optimum proportions of the Vero Air range by Duravit for the bathrooms. Directly integrated into the living area, the narrow edges and straight-lined design of the washbasin provide ample comfort in a small space. The functional C.1 faucet, designed by Kurt Merki jr., complements the contemporary, straight-lined aesthetic. The toilet from the ME by Starck series, with its timeless, rimless design, blends perfectly into the bathroom. The mechanical A.1 toilet actuator plate is a further feature by Duravit. Function and design are perfectly harmonized for a consistent overall impression.