Private villa – House S with a view to Lake Starnberg in Germany was designed by Stephan Maria Lang. On a sloping site oriented to the morning sun, the house is hovering with its widely levitating roof anchored to the ground by three stone clad rocky volumes. The white coated slabs with floor to ceiling sliding doors in between create an image like a yard in a light breeze. The Indoor outdoor living with lots of friends, enough space for entertaining and the maximum input of sea view and evening sun hiding early behind the Hilltop made up the decision to have the Living area in the second floor at street level.
You enter the house in the upper level through a 4-meter high entrance hall. A big western facing window over the entrance door marks the entry in the widely closed street facade. At night, the classic artichoke Light of Poul Henningson is a magic focus point for the visitors. Opposite the entrance hall is the more private living space with a view to Lake Starnberg. Adjacent to the right is the huge kitchen area overlooking the lake with the mountains in the background. Sky frame sliding Glass door system allows to melt the space to a huge terrace under the dramatic levitating roof subtle lit at night. A big chimney is the heart of the Mountain View terrace that terminates in the infinity pool overlapping free into the garden.
A hidden stairway leads to the lower first floor and the water sunken courtyard, which is an invention to let light in the hill facing guest and bathrooms. The sleeping rooms in this very private area are facing the garden and are connected by wooden terraces.
In the whole house, we tried to use a simple but sophisticated material and color concept. White walls to present a art photo collection, Maple for floors and furniture and Kehlheimer local Limestone for bathrooms and chimneys. The well-determined detailing creates an atmosphere of sensitive luxury. Exactly composed vistas determine the free floating ground plane. The play with the fluent passage is enhanced by the garden layout. The sculptured building interacts with the prairie style garden. The Composition creates different garden spaces and vistas.
4. Design Company/Designer Description
The architect Stephan Maria Lang possesses an extraordinary talent for grasping the special quality of any given site and combining it with the personality of his clients. His projects, with their atmospheric visual composition, illustrate the diversity and individuality of his work. The quality and beauty of Stephan Maria Lang’s works lay in hidden details, in the surprising views, in the play of light and shadow, and in the integration of landscape, garden, and interior into a gesamtkunstwerk, an integrated and holistic masterpiece of architecture. His projects make use of the latest technologies in a matter of course to meet the need for comfort and energy efficiency and thus reveal the complexity of his fascinating architecture. However, the essential qualities of this way of life are inspiration from Japanese thought, an appreciation of patina, and the beauty of the imperfect. Photographer Hans Kreye & Mark Winkel
