Sleeps: 2 to 12

1933

Architect: Hans Scharoun

Sleeps: 2-12

An iconic monument full of charm that’s perfect for a brief stay from Thursdays to Sundays.

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Recommended by: Peter Lush: “I haven’t stayed in it, but much enjoyed visiting The Schminke House which is in eastern Saxony and features on the cover of the Taschen book about Hans Scharoun.”

Regarded as one of the finest examples of 20^th century residential architecture in the world.  The German architect Hans Scharoun built the house for Fritz Schminke, the owner of a nearby noodle factory, and his wife and four children.

A wide driveway leads to the main entrance with a cantilever roof that, especially when illuminated by night, adds a futuristic touch. It also serves the practical purpose of a rain cover when stepping out of a car. A vestibule leads directly into a central hall that connects all the important rooms: living, sleeping, keeping house. The elongated living room on the ground floor extends into a winter garden in the east. The bank of windows facing the factory to the south answers the call for day-long sunlight. Ceiling-high windows open up the room to the north toward the garden. With its transparency, the house often eliminates the barriers between the inside and the outside. On the ground floor, the house seems to reach straight into the garden.

Scharoun organized all rooms with a holistic approach and designed the lights and the built-in furniture uniformly with an expressive colour scheme. Unfortunately, many of the original colours are now lost.

Scharoun was an important exponent of organic and expressionist architecture. His other well known building is the Berliner Philharmonie.