Haus Hohe Pappeln - Wohnhaus Henry van de Velde

Beschreibung

The House Hohe Pappeln was the private residence of the Belgian architect and designer Henry van de Velde (1863–1957), who came to Weimar in 1902 as the artistic advisor to Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst. Van de Velde had the house constructed in 1907/08 based on his own designs and lived there until 1917 with his wife Maria and their five children. Due to the growing xenophobia during World War I, the family had to leave Weimar and sell the house. The ownership changed hands rapidly. The Klassik Stiftung Weimar, which has been managing the building since 2003, purchased the culturally and historically significant artist´s house in the summer of 2012 with the support of the Ilse-Burghardt-Stiftung. The foundation will use parts of the basement to support young artists. Van de Velde developed the external appearance of the house based on its internal structure and the arrangement of its fittings. He paid particular attention to the path of the sun. Van de Velde regarded the House Hohe Pappeln as an organism, where each room had a specific function and thus a designated place within the spatial structure. The central node and heart of the house was the living hall on the main floor. From here, one could access the lounge with an adjacent study and dining room, the staircase to the upper floor, and the side stairs. Van de Velde deliberately avoided ornamental decorations, instead focusing on the aesthetics of modern industry and designed the House Hohe Pappeln based on principles of functionality. The house is a unique total work of art, with van de Velde´s signature visible in every detail. In addition to the architecture, fittings, and furniture, van de Velde also designed the garden. Each facade corresponds to a different garden area. A rural ornamental garden with fruit trees originally faced the street, an open space with a fountain for leisure was on the south side, and a utility garden was to the west. The poplars that once rose high above the house gave the estate its name. Starting March 31, 2023, a new permanent exhibition titled "The House Hohe Pappeln. A Museum to Touch" will present reproductions of the original furniture by the Art Nouveau artist Henry van de Velde in the living hall, allowing for a sensory experience.