Haus OBU
Eight ivy-covered timber domes made up the experimental home and studio of architect Erwin H. Zander in Köln-Hahnwald, linked by a Dani Karavan water installation. Demolished in 2011.
The name OBU was more than an abbreviation: it was an address. It derived from the then "Oberbuschweg," which was later renamed "Unter den Birken."
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Residence and studio (no longer extant)
- Location
- Villa suburb of Köln-Hahnwald, Rodenkirchen district
- Architect and client
- Erwin H. Zander
- Construction period
- 1976 to 1982
- Construction method
- Eight lightweight domes above a masonry base level
- Installation
- Water basins and walkways designed by Dani Karavan
- Demolition
- Autumn 2011
The name "OBU" comes from the former address "Oberbuschweg", and the house's eight ivy- and vine-covered wooden domes were handmade as lattice shells, which is why construction took six years.
A House Made of Domes
Zander designed the building as his own home and studio. The experimental design consisted of eight domes overgrown with ivy and grapevines. They were built as timber lattice shells, made by hand and at low cost. This method of production is the reason the construction took six years.
Layout
The masonry base level housed the service spaces: dressing rooms, bathrooms, utility rooms and cellars. Above, beneath the domes, were the living rooms, bedrooms and the studio. Some of these rooms opened up to views of the sky. At the center was a two-storey living hall that remained free of built-in fixtures and opened onto the garden across a wide expanse.
Water as a Connecting Element
The individual domes were linked by an installation by the artist Dani Karavan. It consisted of water basins and walkways and ran through both the interior and the outdoor space.
Significance and Demolition
The house was regarded as a masterpiece of experimental, postmodern and at the same time archaic, nature-oriented architecture. In Germany, the building had no successors. In autumn 2011, the new owners had the building demolished.
Timeline
- 1976Construction begins on the residential and studio house designed by Erwin H. Zander
- 1982House completed after six years of construction
- Herbst 2011House demolished by the new owners
Map
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-10-23
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