Villa Bestgen
Art-Nouveau villa in Cologne's Neustadt, regarded for its bold use of color as an example of "modern villa architecture in Germany".
The Villa Bestgen was a listed building on Theodor-Heuss-Ring in Cologne's Neustadt. It was designed by Gottfried Wehling and Alois Ludwig.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Rendered Art Nouveau building
- Heritage status
- formerly a listed monument in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Address
- Theodor-Heuss-Ring 9
- District
- Neustadt/Nord, Innenstadt borough
- Construction
- September 1901 to April 1903
- Cost
- 165,000 marks
Because of its stylistic closeness to the Art Nouveau architecture of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony, the Villa Bestgen was long wrongly believed to be a work of Joseph Maria Olbrich – it was actually designed by Gottfried Wehling and Alois Ludwig.
Color as a Defining Feature
The base was built of yellowish-gray sandstone, with a plastered facade above. The ironwork was painted blue, while the woodwork was white. Colorful glass mosaic adorned the columns of the portal. Because of this color scheme, the villa was considered an example of "modern villa architecture in Germany," which was characterized by an "increasing love of color."
Facade and Decoration
The street facade was dominated by a round arch spanning two floors. On the ground floor, a semicircular projection rose above the plinth of large natural stone blocks. The front also featured a bay window on the ground floor and a wide, round-arched loggia on the upper floor. The main entrance was located on the long side. Allegorical sculptures after designs by Adolf Simatschek stood at the building's corners; they represented the "Guardian of Domestic Happiness" and the "Hearth Flame."
Rooms at Completion
On the ground floor, a music salon, a sitting room and the dining room were arranged around the hall. From the dining room, one could reach a conservatory and the breakfast room. The upper floor contained a living room, a study, four bedrooms and the bathroom.
Good to Know
Stylistically, the building was close to the Art Nouveau architecture of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony. For this reason, it was long mistakenly attributed to Joseph Maria Olbrich.
Timeline
- September 1901Construction of the villa at Theodor-Heuss-Ring 9 begins (Art Nouveau)
- April 1903Villa completed, construction cost 165,000 marks
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-11-08
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