Renovation of a Terraced House in Munich's Olympic Village

The house dates from 1972. Like the entire complex, it is a listed concrete building in the brutalist style. The architects carried out a careful ecological upgrade of the existing building. For example, the exterior walls were insulated internally and fitted with wall heating and a tactile clay plaster finish. At the same time, they transformed the interior with a playful design concept. The 3.7 m wide neutral space has been transformed into a colourful living landscape.

The kitchen with the windbreak which is part of the blue built-in cupboard. © Simon Burko

This terraced house is located on a slope and can be accessed via a footpath to the north. From there, you enter the kitchen, which has a dining area, and then the living room, which adjoins it directly. The architects reinterpreted the classic box concept, creating a walk-in cupboard that runs diagonally through the room. Blue-stained three-layer panels serve as doors, while ash wood slats form striking door handles. The cupboard connects the kitchen with the living room and provides extra storage space. The entire design is inspired by Frank Gehry's contribution to the Architecture Biennale in Venice in 1980.

Some of the bathroom tiles and the doors could be retained. © Simon Burko

The interior design has a collage-like quality, with colours and textures combined in multiple layers. Different coloured clay surfaces divide the spaces into zones, while the light grey clay on the ceiling creates the illusion of greater height. The oiled oak parquet flooring acts as a unifying element. It has been laid in a graphic pattern and can be found on all floors. The kitchen is pink and features a Verde Guatemala marble splash guard. In the bathrooms, some of the existing tiles were retained by the architects. The same applies to the doors, which were painted grey and fitted with colourful handles to blend harmoniously into the design concept.