DRAWINGS
Vienna
1980
TEXTPHOTOSPLANS
GMMK , Gert M. MAYR-KEBER ZT-GmbH. Drawings 1980-1985

...the southern front of the house with its plastically formulated facade projects clearly out over the edge of the slope, and the parts of the building which here rest on round pillars are supported by single foundations, architecturally conceived and visible far down below in the ground. By means of this specially developed form of load-bearing the pillars take possession of the ground and the effectiveness of the section of the building above is increased. At the same time a flight of steps follows the foundations down the slope, burrowing into the earth and turning, freeing itself from the foundation, directly to the water and becoming bridgehead. From here a truss footbridge in light metal leads to the delicately-constructed, shimmering mossy-green boathouse floating above the water on thin metal stilts...

...I encounter a wall with a smoothed-out, wrinkle-free surface, stretched between the surrounding frame and separated from the ceiling and the floor. A brief contact corrects my textile impression of this wall area, which thrusts up into the room two steps higher with a light sweep. A very finely treated plaster surface with lightly-scratched structure mimes textile; its illusionistic effect is enhanced by a row of windows high above, which floods this area with bright, yellow-filtered daylight...

...repeatedly distracted by the individual room situations and the specific incidence of the light, I enter the large room of the house, partially prepared by previous views gained while approaching. The ceiling height remains the same, but I descend several steps to the thin pillars, which support a higher, tent-like ceiling whose form is determined by the construction principle, and at the same time define a square area in the room, which is accentuated by the scarlet carpet inlaid in the red-hued stone. From the landing just left a bridge which is reached by several steps leads to the opposite side of the room, from which a steep and narrow staircase leads to the tower, the houseĀ“s hermitage. The axis of this shaft-like stairway points to the middle of the room. Under the already-mentioned walled bridge, which almost comes into contact with the pillars, a flight of stairs lined on both sides with bookshelves leads down to a light-drenched oriel room, which appears to hang in front of the house like a pulpit...

...at the very front of the terrace I see the load-bearing pillars of the projecting roof, which reach down to the depths before the balustrades. The soffits, which project further forward, disperse in varyingly-formulated geometric frames, whose lamellae only serve to provide shade and at the same time fulfil a formal function. Behind the walled slab, which originates from the upper terrace parapet wall and penetrates to the lower terrace level, a stairway leading to the water can be perceived, peeping through a circular opening, which at the same time appears to be a terminating motive...