Mackintosh’s Hill House Becomes an International Iconic House!
SPECIAL – Czech Classics
Record Number of Iconic Houses - Part 1
Laichter House: The Story of Burnt Books and Broken Bricks
Iconic Houses Network Members' Meetup London, November 4
Remembering Irving J. Gill
Iconic Houses in the Media
Interview in Leading Catalan newspaper ARA
Bauhaus Villa in Berlin For Sale
Historical Exhibition, Marie-Laure de Noailles, Painter, Conversation
Our Badge of Honour
Istanbul’s Modernist Ataköy Housing Estate is At Risk
Early Furniture Designs by Le Corbusier on Permanent Display in Maison Blanche
Photo Report City Icons Amsterdam
Healing Through Architecture
Reopening An Iconic Modernist Landmark
City Icons Kick Off with Talk by Linda Vlassenrood
MORE MIES - Pure Architecture in Haus Lange Haus Esters
Through a Bauhaus Lens: Edith Tudor-Hart and Isokon
Modernism Week Lecture: 12 Years of Iconic Houses
Aluminaire House Grand Opening
Exhibition Icons of the Czech Avant-Garde
An Elementalist and Mediterranean Architecture
Icon for Sale - Loos Villa: Haus Horner
SPECIAL – Iconic Dreams Europe - Sleep in an Iconic House!
SPECIAL – Iconic Dreams North America - Sleep in an Iconic House!
SPECIAL – Dutch Delights!
SPECIAL - Vacances en France!
SPECIAL – German Greats!
SPECIAL - Casas Icónicas en España!
SPECIAL – Northern (High)Lights!
SPECIAL – Iconic Artist Residencies
SPECIAL – Iconic Collective Housing
SPECIAL – Women & Iconic Houses
Public Screenings and Private Streaming of Pioneers of the Dutch Modern House
Support the Frankfurt Declaration (on Housing)
Winy Wants a World Wonder
Welcome Atelier Volten!
Sleep in a Modernist Gem – Huis Billiet in Bruges
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - 100 Years Van Zessen House
Exclusive Tour and Film Screening Package
The Last House Designed by Adolf Loos Will Be Built in Prague
Icons of the Czech Avantgarde
Icon for Sale - Casa Legorreta
Rietveld Day: 200 Enthusiasts Explored 3 Utrecht Icons
Hurray! 10 Years Iconic Houses
7th International Iconic Houses Conference A Huge Success
Meet Conference Co-Chair Iveta Černá
Meet Conference Co-Chair Maria Szadkowska
Eighteen Iconic Houses Under One Roof
17 June - 'Pioneers-film' Screening Amersfoort
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - Van Eesteren House Museum
Welcome Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky Zentrum in Vienna!
Welcome Vila Volman! Jewel of Czech Functionalism
Movie Night: Adolf Loos- Revolutionary Among Architects
'Inside Iconic Houses' Case Study House #26 Webcast in Webshop
Inside Iconic Houses at Taut’s Home in Berlin
Rediscovering Forgotten Loos Interiors in Pilsen
'Inside Iconic Houses' - Online Tour Program
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - The Diagoon House
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - Rietveld Schröder House
Rietveld Houses Owners Association
Corberó Space: New Life for Hidden Jewel
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - Pierre Cuypers' House and Workshops
Reeuwijk Celebrates Completion of Restoration Rietveld Homes!
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - Van Doesburg Rinsema House
Welcome Rietveld's Van Daalen House!
Architect Harry Gessner Passed Away at 97
Watch Pioneers of the Dutch Modern House Now On Demand
Icon Saved: Dorchester Drive House
Welcome Umbrella House!
Iconic Houses in the Netherlands – Berlage’s Masterpiece
Iconic Houses in The Netherlands - Het Schip
Inside Iconic Houses - Tour of Maison Cazenave
Inside Iconic Houses Tours Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami
Casa Masó Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
Inside Iconic Houses tours Roland Reisley's Usonian Frank Lloyd Wright House
Rietveld’s Experimental Housing in Reeuwijk Saved
Serralves Villa after restoration
Portraits of the Architect - Interview with Gennaro Postiglione
Test Labs for New Ideas - Interview with Natascha Drabbe
Inside Iconic Houses - Isokon Building
Inside Iconic Houses - 16 December: Sunnylands with Janice Lyle
BCN-BXL Coderch-De Koninck - Beyond Time
New Chairman Architect Nanne de Ru on The Perfect Platform
Health and Home - Interview with Beatriz Colomina
A Life Less Ordinary – Interview with Valentijn Carbo
Invisible Women - Interview with Alice T. Friedman
Winy Maas on the Green Dip
Anita Blom on Experimental Housing of the 1970s
Women’s Worlds - Interview with Natalie Dubois
The Culture of Living - Interview with Robert von der Nahmer
Hetty Berens: A Fresh Take on Modernism
Niek Smit on Supporting Modern Heritage
Alice Roegholt on Amsterdam’s Working-Class Palaces
July is Iconic Houses Month
Hans van Heeswijk on The Pioneers of the Dutch Modern House
Wessel de Jonge on Dutch Icons at Risk
Save Maison Zilveli - Sign the Petition!
How a Building Tells a Story - Recorded Event
Toolkit for Owners of a Modern House
13 Aalto Sites Nominated for UNESCO World Heritage
Villa Beer At Risk - Sign the Petition!
Business Cards of Stone, Timber and Concrete in the Brussels Region 1830-1970
Exhibiting & Visiting Modernist Monuments
Fostering Well-Researched Responsible Design
ICONS AT RISK
Enjoy a virtual visit to the California House and a Q&A with architect Peter Gluck
Exhibition 'Modernism and Refuge'
A Hidden Gem of Postmodernism
New Centre for Historic Houses of India
An Online Chronicle of the Douglas House
Villa Henny, geometric style icon in The Netherlands
A Mendini temple in Amsterdam
IH-lectures USA & Canada Feb 2020 on Melnikov House
Sponsors and Friends
An Afternoon with the Glucks
Chandler McCoy on Making Modern Houses Sustainable
Catherine Croft: Getting Away from the Demolition Mentality in the UK
Patrick Weber on Discovering an Unknown Icon
Fiona Fisher on Iconic Interiors
Jocelyn Bouraly on Villa Cavrois
Mireia Massagué on finding success through a new kind of partnership
Danish Moderns – Looking Back at Our Mini-Seminar
Venturo house complements Exhibition Centre WeeGee’s offering
Lecture report: Remembering Richard Neutra
Hôtel Mezzara and the Guimard Museum project
We welcome 13 new members!
BREAKING NEWS: 8 Wright Sites Inscribed on Unesco World Heritage List!
LECTURE 29 August - Raymond Neutra: My Father and Frank Lloyd Wright
Iconic Reads
Iconic Houses End Year Message
City-ordered rebuild of landmark house stirs debate: Appropriate or overreach?
Kohlberg House Restoration in Progress
Planned Demolition of Rietveld Homes in Reeuwijk
Renovation Gili House in Crisis
An Iconic Saga
Restoring Eileen Gray’s Villa E-1027 and Clarifying the Controversies
Modernism on the East Coast
Iconic Houses in Latin America
Conference testimonials
House Tours May 2018
Expert Meetings
Natascha Drabbe - Iconic Houses: The Next Chapter
Terence Riley -KEYNOTE SPEAKER- on Philip Johnson
New era for Villa E-1027 and Cap Moderne
Hilary Lewis on Philip Johnson and his Glass House
John Arbuckle on Great House Tours
William D. Earls on the Harvard Five in New Canaan
Stover Jenkins on Working for Philip Johnson
Frederick Noyes on his Father’s House
Scott Fellows and Craig Bassam on their Passion for Preservation
Jorge Liernur -KEYNOTE SPEAKER- on Latin American Modernism(s)
Fabio Grementieri on Modernism in Argentina
Catalina Corcuera Cabezut on Casa Luis Barragán
Renato Anelli on Lina Bo Bardi’s Casa de Vidro
Tim McClimon on Corporate Preservation
Amanda Nelson on Building Donor Relationships
John Bacon on Planned Giving
Jean-Paul Warmoes on the Art of Fundraising in America
Chandler McCoy on Why Less is More
Katherine Malone-France on Moving with the Times
Anne Mette Rahbæk on Philanthropic Investments and Preservation
Peter McMahon on Saving Modern Houses on Cape Cod
Toshiko Kinoshita on Japanese Modern Heritage Houses
Roland Reisley on Life in a Frank Lloyd Wright House
5th Iconic Houses Conference May 2018
Kristin Stone, Pasadena Tour Company
Restoring the past: The Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Home Studio
Behind the Scenes: Hendrick de Keyser Association
Crosby Doe, Architecture for Sale
Latin America Special – Focus on Mexico
De Stijl in Drachten
Preserving the Nancarrow House-Studio
Meet the Friends - Nanne de Ru
Latin America Special – Focus on Brazil
Jan de Jong’s House is Latest Hendrick de Keyser Acquisition
Stay in a Belgian Modernist Masterpiece
In Berlin’s Modernist Network
Rietveld-Schröder House Celebrates De Stijl Anniversary
Meet Our New Foundation Board Members
Maintaining Aalto's Studio – Linoleum Conservation
Virtual Tour of a Papaverhof Home in 3D
Getty Grant for Villa E-1027
Plečnik House in Ljubljana
Iconic Dacha
Iconic Houses: A Bohemian Road Trip
Work in Progress: Capricho de Gaudí
11 Le Corbusier Homes now on Unesco World Heritage List
At home with Le Corbusier
Henry van de Velde’s Study in Haus Hohe Pappeln Restored
Lynda Waggoner reports
A Conference to Remember
4th International Iconic Houses Conference
Guest of Honor - Harry Gesner
Fallingwater: European Lecture Tour
Wright Plus 2016 Walk
Susan Macdonald, Getty Conservation Institute
John Mcllwee, Garcia House
Meet the Friends – Elisabeth Tostrup
Iconic Houses: The Story So Far
Willie van Burgsteden, designer Iconic Houses
Buff Kavelman, Philanthropic Advisor
Meet the Friends - Frederick Noyes
Sheridan Burke, GML Heritage
Meet the Friends - Raymond Neutra
Sidney Williams, Frey House
Franklin Vagnone and Deborah Ryan, Museum Anarchists
Meet the Friends - James Haefner
Toshiko Mori, architect
Malachi Connolly, Cape Cod Modern House Trust
Meet the Friends - Penny Sparke
Lucia Dewey Atwood, Eames House
Cory Buckner, Mutual Housing Site Office
Jeffrey Herr, Hollyhock House
Speaking Volumes: Building the Iconic Houses Library
Sarah Lorenzen, Neutra VDL Studio and Residences
Ted Bosley, Gamble House
Keeping It Modern - Getty Conservation Grants
Meet the Friends - Thomas Schönauer
Wim de Wit, Stanford University
Linda Dishman, Los Angeles Conservancy
Jesse Lattig, Pasadena Heritage
Join us in Los Angeles! Update
Work in Progress: Casa Vicens
Work in Progress: Van Wassenhove House
Work in Progress: Villa Cavrois
Work in Progress: The Pearlroth House
Conference calls!
Follow us!
Third Iconic Houses Conference a huge success
Conference House Tours Barcelona
Marta Lacambra, Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera
Natascha Drabbe, Iconic Houses Foundation
Special speaker Oscar Tusquets
Jordi Tresserras, UNESCO Network ‘Culture, tourism and development’
Christen Obel, Utzon Foundation
Elena Ruiz Sastre, Casa Broner
Fernando Alvarez Prozorovich, La Ricarda
Tim Benton, Professor of Art History (Emeritus)
Susana Landrove, Docomomo Spain
Rossend Casanova, Casa Bloc
Conference Program 25 November 2014
Jordi Falgàs, Casa Rafael Masó
Documentary La Ricarda
Marga Viza, Casa Míla/La Pedrera
Celeste Adams, Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
Conference 25 November 2014 at La Pedrera
Henry Urbach, The Glass House
Victoria & Albert Museum London November 12
Tommi Lindh, new director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation and Museum
Iveta Černá, Villa Tugendhat
Lynda Waggoner, Fallingwater
Kimberli Meyer, MAK Center
Rent a house designed by Gerrit Rietveld
Barragán House on Screen
Gesamtkunstwerk – An Icon on the Move
Triennale der Moderne 27 September - 13 October 2013
Prestigious Art Nouveau mansions in Brussels open
September 14 + 15: Heritage Days in Paris
June's New Arrivals: Museum Apartments
Iconic Houses is now on Twitter and Facebook
Corbu’s Cabanon: Reconstruction and Lecture
Projekt Mies In Krefeld: Life-sized model of the Krefeld Clubhouse
New arrivals: Spain special
MAMO: Le Corbu’s ‘Park in the Sky’ open 12 June
Taut's Home wins Europa Nostra Award
Annual Wright Architectural Housewalk: 18 May
Frank Lloyd Wright Homes on Screen
Message from the Editor
Neutra’s House on Screen
Michel Richard, Fondation Le Corbusier
Symposium The Public and the Modern House
Melnikov House on Screen
Iconic Houses in the media
Message from the Editor
Round Table Review
Eileen Gray House on Screen
Copy Culture
At Home in the 20th Century
New 20th century Iconic Houses website launches
Philippe Bélaval, Centre des monuments nationaux
Inside Iconic Houses at Taut’s Home in Berlin
Stream an exclusive online house tour inside this special house. Owners and curators of the tiny, museum-like holiday home, Katrin Lesser and Ben Buschfeld, point out the interior details tributing the work of Bruno Taut. Buy your ticket HERE.
And read the article about the restoration below the teaser.
A Heritage House for Short Stay Rental, Meticulously Restored and With 1920s Splendour
To classify the background of the project, one must know that Taut's Home is part of the UNESCO-listed ‘Hufeisensiedlung’ (Horseshoe Estate) in the district Berlin-Neukölln Britz. Of the total of six residential settlements with World Heritage status in Berlin, the Hufeisensiedlung is the only one in which—after the privatization of the former municipal housing company GEHAG and several takeovers of the entire portfolio on the stock exchange— terraced housing stocks were converted into individual ownership on large scale from 1999 onwards. This has the effect that over 600 private individuals today, own a part of this UNESCO World Heritage ensemble. The challenge to develop the house for heritage conservation has led to several activities and publications by the two owners of Taut’s Home, landscape architect Katrin Lesser and designer Ben Buschfeld, an enthusiastic couple that has lived in the estate for 25 years. They dedicated all those years to preserving and promoting the special value of 1920s modernism.
A Tribute to Bruno Taut
This terraced house at the end of the row with a slightly larger garden, is a lively, well-founded tribute to the architect Bruno Taut (1880-1938) with a lot of carefully chosen details. In 1924, Taut was appointed chief architect of the GEHAG housing company. In just a few years of practice, before the rise of National Socialism, he designed around 12,000 flats, the majority of which are listed monuments. In addition to listed status 3,543 of his dwellings even have UNESCO World Heritage status, because four of Berlin's six UNESCO World Heritage housing estates are largely based on his designs. With this quantitatively and qualitatively outstanding record, Bruno Taut may be considered the most important architect in Berlin housing construction of the early 20th century, even if—due to his early death in exile in Turkey in 1938—he was not able to really start a second career after World War II, which may limit his posthumous fame on an international scale. But of all the great architects of the 20th century, only Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright are similarly prominently represented on the World Heritage List.
The Significance of the Hufeisensiedlung
The ensemble, covering some 28 hectares, is grouped around a 350-meter-long iconic structure curved in the shape of a horseshoe. It gave the settlement, built in 1925-30, its name and reminds many visitors of the "Bauhaus style"—a popular label, which, however, in no way does justice to the independence of the complex and Taut's special position in the transnational polycentric development of modernism. Also known as the ‘Britz Large Housing Estate’, the Hufeisensiedlung is not only considered Taut's most important work but is also the largest and best known of the six "Berlin Modernism Housing Estates" listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2008.
Even at the time of construction, the complex was considered an icon of public housing oriented toward the common good. In addition to Bruno Taut, Martin Wagner (who later became the city planning director of Berlin) and the garden architect Leberecht Migge were involved in the design. In terms of building type, the ensemble of 1,263 multi-story apartment buildings and 679 terraced houses with gardens marks the transition from the reform-oriented garden city movement to a rationally planned, row-based large-scale housing development, as it then became internationally established in the 1930s, 50s, and 60s. At the Hufeisensiedlung these two ideologically opposing design maxims–artistic individuality vs. serial construction–were brought to a unique synthesis.
A Special Treat for Design and Architecture Lovers
With its socially, economically, and politically turbulent history, the estate is ideal for guided tours and study visits. This also makes Taut's Home the ideal starting point for exploring not just the immediate neighbourhood, but also Berlin's multifaceted architectural heritage. The city´s heritage includes various iterations of modernism and ranges from the industrial buildings of the late 19th century to important buildings of post-war modernism (in the East and West) as well as important buildings of brutalism, late modernism, and post-modernism.
A stay in the house, which is suitable for up to four people, allows guests to take in the colourfully varied ensemble in a very personal and peaceful way. To achieve that, furnishings also bring architectural and design history to life: The house is part of the sixth construction phase, which was built in 1929/30 in the form of parallel single-family terraced houses with gardens and cost-reducing flat roofs. The interior has been completely restored in Taut's distinctive colour scheme and furnished throughout in the style of the 1920s and 30s.
Interior Design and Furnishing
The house is only 65 sqm in size but convinces with a very functional and space-efficient floor plan. Modern comfort has been discreetly integrated. All colours in the interior were meticulously researched and restored strictly according to the well-documented findings. The colourfully resurrected rooms in strong cornflower blue, dark red, muted green and various shades of grey, white, and warm yellow are furnished throughout with original furniture or furniture reconstructed in the style of the 1920 and 30s.
The kitchen, which is suitable for self-catering, is a replica of the typical GEHAG kitchen designed by Bruno Taut for the Forest Estate in Berlin-Zehlendorf, which was begun six months later. During the reconstruction by a carpenter, modern kitchen amenities like a refrigerator or a dishwasher were discreetly integrated behind the historically appealing front doors. A special feature in the kitchen is also the red-coloured magnesite flooring, which has been restored according to the original recipe with a mixture of concrete, sawdust, and Ferro-oxygen-powder.
In the living and dining room, typical furniture from the Weimar Republic is gathered, joined by some modern classics, such as the first tubular steel furniture from the Bauhaus Dessau or a pending lamp by Sistrah. At the time the housing estates were built, central heating had not yet been installed. Instead, a tiled stove was installed in every living room and bedroom. These are complemented by black lacquered radiators, the design of which dates from 1930, the year the construction of the house was completed. This is another special feature of the house, which has an outstanding amount of original substance: Two of the original three tiled stoves were still intact and present. The third, green one was newly built from original tiles donated by neighbours.
Throughout the house, there are so-called ‘monument windows’ that allow to trace back the sequence of the individual coats of paint. In our case, we always restored the first coat using the high-quality mineral products of the Keimfarben, which were already in use at the time.
Another large piece of furniture, re-interpreted by the two landlords according to historical models, is the large folding bed in the blue room on the first floor. Here, the redesign is inspired by a photo printed in a publication from 1927, which presented a model flat for a similar small housing estate in Frankfurt am Main built in the same tradition. The sofa in the neighbouring yellow room, the former children's room, which can be extended to a small double bed with a width of 140 cm. This construction was inspired by a sofa from one of the master houses of the Bauhaus Dessau. All the furnishings, such as crockery, lamps, and small pieces of furniture, are originals from the 1920s and 30s and were bought from flea markets and antique dealers.
The garden is designed according to plans by the garden architect Leberecht Migge with fruit trees, herbaceous borders, and a rose hedge.
After two years of restoration, Taut's Home has been let for short stays to history and architecture enthusiasts since 2012. It offers space for 2-4 tenants, who can embark on a journey back in time to the era of emerging modernism. An opportunity that effectively complements Berlin's museum landscape and has been enthusiastically received by guests, the professionals, and the media on an international scale.
Awards
Despite the fact that the realization took place without any subsidies, today Taut´s Home is considered by officials to be the most active and lively ambassador of Berlin's newest world heritage site. The house and its two owners have been awarded several prizes, including the Golden Badge of Honour of the district of Neukölln, the Berlin Monument Price (twice), and in 2013 the prestigious European Union Prize for Monument Preservation / Europa Nostra Award. Being honoured with this award in the restoration category is special since it has only been granted to three out of more than 8,000 registered monuments in Berlin.
In her laudation for the local ceremony, the former Senate Building Director Regula Lüscher described the project as follows: "Tautes Heim (German version of "Taut´s Home") is a masterpiece of monument education. More impressively than any words, it brings the architecture of the 1920s back to life and convinces everyone who enters it of the value of modernism. Prejudices that modernism is inevitably cool, sterile, boring, are refuted by Tautes Heim in an unpretentious and at the same time powerful way with its colourfulness and many homely details."
Basic text: Ben Buschfeld.
Posted December 1, 2022