Mathildenhöhe Café Restaurant
Darmstadt, 2012 - 2023
The café is located in the valve chamber of the former drinking water reservoir. The water reservoir dates back to 1879, making it one of the oldest buildings on Mathildenhöhe. The interior rooms are rather narrow, which is visually compensated for by the use of large mirrors on the rear walls. These reflective surfaces create a visual expansion and at the same time provide more light and spatial depth in the guest room, which offers seating for 75 people. The elongated layout of the café allows for different qualities of stay – from a quiet seating area to a communicative meeting place at the bar. The wall colours refer to historical colour schemes in the existing building and reinterpret them in a restrained manner; the wooden surfaces of the furniture provide warmth. A special design element is the former valve chamber, located in the central axis of the café. This is where the building’s water reservoir technology used to be housed. Today, this space serves as a café bar – with visible relics of the old technology, such as the original pipes. These architectural traces have been deliberately left in place, creating an atmospheric space with historical character. A newly installed lift on the west side provides barrier-free access to the café directly from the forecourt. Access is independent of museum operations, meaning that the café can also be open outside of opening hours. There is also a terrace at the front, which is accessed via a new open staircase and offers additional outdoor seating.
Offices involved:
Technical details:
Procurement documentation: Freelance services procurement procedure (VOF)Service phases (HOAI): 1-4
