Walkable poetry: Visitors to the permanent exhibition at the Hölderlin building in Tübingen, a former home of the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin, can not only immerse themselves in his universe, but also experience and feel the craft of writing poetry with all of their senses. The stage for the multimedia exhibition is provided primarily by our real wood parquet flooring.
Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) is one of the key literary figures of his time: his poems about people and nature are still cited by many, and still inspire creatives today. He spent around half his life living in the tower in Tübingen that now bears his name, attentively accommodated there by the Zimmer family of carpenters who owned the building, until his death, the 180th anniversary of which is in 2023.
Stuttgart architects and exhibition makers from COAST have brought this important historical location to life: the protected building underwent a careful renovation that turned it into an interactive multimedia space where visitors can experience language with all their senses. As part of this extensive reconstruction, the designers put much emphasis on the use of wood, including the flooring.
The large 2,100 x 190 mm format of the Villapark 1-strip-planks creates a very calm appearance, bringing the exhibits into the foreground: "The Hölderlinturm building itself acts as the first exhibit. This historically unique place should be clearly recognisable and, in this context, the floor should not be historicised, but instead become a discreet, harmonious stage for the new exhibition." The Stuttgart architects have tended to use Bauwerk’s parquet in their projects for a few years now: in their work on the protected Huchler-Scheune building, they opted for the healthy-living, resource-saving parquet made by the Swiss manufacturer: ‘We very much appreciate the Swiss precision and the top-notch craftsmanship, as well as the work of the floor installers!’
"We focused on making oak a material element that you can feel binds the museum together. Touching it directs your attention and associates language with this natural material."
| Location | Tübingen, Germany |
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| Architect | COAST Office Architecture, Stuttgart (DE) |
| Building owner | Tübingen University City (DE) |
| Floor installer | Christoph Skaletzka Parkett Fussbodentechnik, Tübingen (DE) |
|---|---|
| Parquet | Villapark, Oak Farina |
| Photographer | David Franck Photographie, Ostfildern (DE) |
