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Das Haus 2016

Sebastian Herkner’s “Das Haus” is circular, more or less transparent and has almost no solid wall: an expression of the necessity of facing changes with more openness.

Sebastian Herkner, Das Haus – Interiors on Stage, imm cologne 2016

Sebastian Herkner’s project for “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage”, now on view at imm cologne, invites everyone to look, enter, feel, communicate with others, gather impressions and insights.

Panorama views of the surrounding landscape open up from any position on the various levels of the round living space. If “Das Haus” stood as a glass structure in a park, associations with Japanese pavilion architecture would come to mind.

This is also the intention of the designer, who, with his vision of open, freer living, also wants to make a statement: a message against the tendency toward isolation. “The transparency of ‘Das Haus’ is an expression of the necessity of facing changes with more openness”. He comments on his concept against the background of the flow of refugees currently presenting a serious societal challenge in Germany.

Sebastian Herkner has designed a soft, flowing architecture that plays with light and perspectives, addressing all the senses in the process. An aperture in the suggested roof at the centre, which should act as a kind of inner courtyard and garden, plays an important conceptual role: it is the lively meeting point of the house and represents the core of the onion-like architecture revealed from the inside out. A circumferential, narrow walkway forms the outer layer, the exterior of which is formed by a decorative facade of curtains, specially produced by the German textiles manufacturer Nya Nordiska, which Herkner and koelnmesse were able to recruit as a sponsor for this project.

The interior of the house is dominated by textiles and patterns, lighting and light. The furniture selected by Sebastian Herkner for the interior design, in some cases designed by himself, in some cases favourite pieces designed by other designers, stand around freely in the room like on a stage. Bedrooms and bathroom break out of the round theme as the only intimately styled, semi-transparent spatial cube. Many prototypes, exclusive designs and new products presented by Herkner’s industry partners for the first time, including an outdoor collection from Dedon, a room divider from Rosenthal, a chair from Linteloo and lighting from Pulpo, will comfortably and attractively realise his idea of freer living.

“It is important to me that ‘Das Haus’ is really open to all”, the young Offenbach designer explains his decision in favour of a round and accessible house in which the wall elements are replaced by movable curtains. “There are no boundaries, no barriers, no corners on which one can bump into or hide behind. The result is an uncompromising round and open house in which the various levels are accessed by way of a gallery. That was the approach: a (nearly) endless house.”