© Robert Rieger
In guestrooms and public spaces, the aesthetic is one of serenity, with natural, high-quality materials set against a neutral colour palette
078
we would have to market the eeriness of sleeping in a
we tried to hold back as much as possible through
prison, but that’s exactly what we didn’t want,” notes
targeted intervention.”
Almut. And so they decided to go it alone, juggling
As such, the imposing red brick walls remain, now
their endeavour with a variety of projects for clients, as
painted internally in off-white for a lighter touch. The
well as raising a family. In all, Wilmina has been over
well-worn stairwells and wrought iron balustrades
a decade in the making, with its acceptance into the
are also intact, as are the original window casements
Design Hotels collective a testament to the originality
complete with vertical steel bars – an unmistakable
of the concept.
reminder of the past. Perhaps the greatest indicator
While Grüntuch Ernst Architects didn’t want the
of the building’s former use is on reaching the
hotel to be gimmicky, they were conscious not to erase
guestrooms, with the solid steel doors of the prison
all traces of the prison. “The design process was a
– complete with bolts and now fitted with keycard
dialogue with the existing building as a material as
access – providing a memorable arrival experience.
well as a cultural resource,” explains Almut. “In our
The interventions that have been made are
architectural strategy, we defined authenticity as an
sensitive and considered. The windows for example –
honest compromise between historic preservation and
previously just small openings above eye-level – have
adaptive reuse, and within that process, we explored
been extended downwards to allow for more natural
how to expose the historic traces to the guest.”
daylight and views into the courtyard below. The
Armand continues: “We approached the project
most significant architectural intervention however
with a certain humility; it raised not only aesthetical
is in the removal of the roof over the cell block,
questions, but ethical and cultural ones too. For
now home to the 44 guestrooms. This has allowed
example, how much of the past should remain visible?
for a single-storey extension and the addition of a
How much intervention is necessary and appropriate?
spacious penthouse suite as well as a sauna and, come
The site itself was so dominant and formative that
summer 2023, a rooftop swimming pool served by its