Villa Wiesbaden 

 

With its dramatic high pitched roof, this imposing villa, built in 1904, presented the practice with a significant challenge: to deliver a contemporary extension that would provide additional space over three levels, while not being overpowered by the scale and massing of the existing structure.

As part of the building programme, the villa's original facade and internal floor plan were carefully reinstated. This process involved painstakingly removing more than 80 years of minor alterations, all conducted in close consultation with the local preservation authority - the dwelling having been issued with an historic preservation order prior to works commencing. 

 

 

In addition to its spacious, light-filled interiors, the extension's robust orthogonal form delivers a private outside area for each of the villa's three apartments, comprising two south-facing balconies on levels one and two, and a sunken courtyard for the lower ground floor. These vantage points reinstate the garden as an integral part of the property, as does a communal south-facing window elegantly framing views of the garden’s oak tree. 

Intergal to the development is as how old and new are subtly bound together via the site's entrance datum level. This sets the depth of the base on which the contemporary block sits. A finishing layer of concrete applied to both the villa's pedestal and the extension's base reinforces the shared plinth motif.