Mirko Baum, Roetgen, Germany, 1994
OfHouses guest curated by Jeff Kaplon (Subtilitas): The
idea of traditions (pt 1). Like
the Lampens’ house, Mirko Baum’s residence in Roetgen is indicative of a
confrontation with an existing context. However, in this case the constraint
was imposed by the municipality, who consistently rejected the architect’s
plans for not adhering to the traditional charm of the German village. As a
result of this experience, Baum’s design embodies an extremely subversive relationship
to its prescribed archetype, with recognizable elements abstracted in
proportion, detail, and material. More provocative still is the design of the
interior, which in a Semper-esque strategy counters the weighted exterior and
anticipated “look” of a house with industrial metal catwalks, narrow hallways
filled with doors void of any hierarchy or indication of function, and odd
loft-like spaces reminiscent of submarine interiors. (Photos: © Vladimír Špaček. Photo Source: Mirko Baum, “Ulice na konci světa” (Prague: Kant, 2007),141-151; www.archiweb.cz .)
