Josef Maria Olbrich

Josef Maria Olbrich.
by descent

Bernd Krimmel (ed.), Joseph M. Olbrich 1867 - 1908, exhibition catalogue, Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, 18th September -27th November 1983, p. 167, pl. 119.

When the house was first seen by the public at the 1901 Künstlerkolonie exhibition the reaction was mixed. Material, comfort and relatively low costs were praised. However, some criticism was directed at the unusual look, which was described as a 'mix of Vienna and Tunis' with 'stuck on' ornament. It was constructed after new principles which demanded to build from the inside out and as a result the placing of the windows is not symmetric. The lower floor contained utility rooms, the ground floor hall, study and dining room. On the first floor Olbrich planned a small living room, bedrooms, a bath and a guest room. The top floor contained two further guest rooms and the servant quarters. During the war the building was damaged and as a consequence the exterior and interiors largely had to be rebuilt, only the tiled frieze was spared destruction. This very rare original design of this famed building has been in the Olbrich family since it was created.