Apartment Dort­mannhof

From the outside, the listed Dort­mannhof seems as if it has fallen out of time; inside, an artistic backdrop of his­to­rical inventory and unusual per­spec­tives opens up. A subtle and clever concept by architect and fur­niture designer Sigurd Larsen, which now also wel­comes guests.

On the out­skirts of Essen, just a walk from the grounds of the Zoll­verein UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dort­mannhof with its half-tim­bered con­s­truction, uneven walls and colourful shutters is remi­niscent of a bygone era. Today’s resi­dential and guest house was built in 1791 as a hall house — an archi­tec­tural style typical of the region that united people and animals under one multi-storey roof. 

In order to meet the needs of today’s resi­dents, a family of musi­cians, and at the same time comply with the requi­re­ments of his­toric pre­ser­vation, the his­toric hybrid of family and work life was ret­hought with two over­sized, habi­table room fur­nis­hings up to eleven metres high, without altering the existing structure. Rather, the two wooden fix­tures are rever­sible and mul­ti­func­tional so that they can be dis­mantled or adapted to the changing times at any time.

Like the prin­ciple of a “house within a house”, the two filigree, rec­ti­linear fix­tures trace the largely pre­served ori­ginal floor plan right up to the roof. So slender and delicate, as if they were inspired by the plants of the sur­rounding nature. Inside, bright, airy rooms with large windows reveal them­selves — dis­tri­buted on nested levels and criss-crossed by ori­ginal struc­tures and details.

In addition to the spec­ta­cular eleven-metre-high music room of the hosts, which stretches up into the middle of the three par­allel stables, a tiny guest house with a separate ent­rance was built in the eastern barn. On the ground floor there is a bathroom with toilet and shower. Here, the soft pink and ter­razzo-look floor make a modern statement. The white­washed basins in the ent­rance area of the guest unit are the former cattle troughs. A spiral staircase leads to the bedroom and living room with a double bed, a desk and storage space. Here, too, the ori­ginal structure becomes an acro­batic design element, as a massive wooden beam of the roof truss crosses the room at a sur­prising height. In this way, the history of the house can be expe­ri­enced directly.

Strong colours set occa­sional accents and form an evo­cative con­trast to the clear, calm atmo­sphere. The guest unit does not have a kitchen, but there is a bakery and several restau­rants in the imme­diate vicinity. The main room with open roof truss serves as a weather-pro­tected cour­tyard. A house like a small world of its own.

What to do

Discover Essen, cycle tours through the countryside on disused railway lines (two bicycles are available), a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein (approx. 15 min. walk) with its outdoor grounds, Ruhr Museum, Red Dot Design Museum, a sculpture park, the pact dance centre, numerous cultural events and gastronomic offerings, open-air cinema in summer, refreshment in the works swimming pool, ice skating rink in winter, walks, llama hikes, open-air swimming pool and wellness in Revierpark Nienhausen, other industrial monuments (e.g. Jahrhunderthalle Bochum or Nordsternpark), Phänomania experience museum, pony rides and mini-golf, Folkwang Museum, Aalto Theatre.

Why we like this house

Old and new intertwine here in a way that is as playful as it is sensual. A unique and extraordinary concept that preserves and remains open to everything that is to come.

This house is great for

Couples, single travellers. The accommodation is not barrier-free and not suitable for small children due to the open spiral staircase.

Sustainability

Preservation of the old wooden structure and materials in combination with modern timber construction, ecological insulation with wood fibre mats, the tiled roof is insulated with straw, public transport: the Essen and Gelsenkirchen main railway stations can be reached by public transport in about 15 min.

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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