quartier

The quartier, including the adjacent housing development, is the upshot of a referendum. A private joint building venture was commissioned to preserve the old while promoting the new. When the lodges opened in 2016, this complex represented the first new hotel to be built in the town of Garmisch in 35 years.

Historical view of Villa Friedheim. It is a traditionally kept woodsman's house with wooden gable roof. In the background stretches a group of mountains.
Villa Friedheim: Historical view (Private archive: Theo Peter)

But the centerpiece of the quartier is still the Villa Friedheim, which dates from 1914. Back in the day, it was surrounded by a nursery that supplied subtropical palm trees, flower wreaths and floral arrangements to buyers as far away as the English royal court and the house of the Russian tsar. Guests are now welcomed here by a wooden bench set in the shade of espalier fruit and with a breathtaking view of the Bavarian Alps.

View into the glazed winter garden in the restaurant with armchairs and round side table. Through the windows you can see the mountains and snow-covered houses.
View into the glazed winter garden of the restaurant.

Thanks to the painstaking restoration of the villa and its round arches, traditional wood planking and double box windows, the villa visibly constitutes the very heart of the quartier. Elements of the interior décor have been meticulously restored to their original state as well, including the lattice windows in the public room and the floor tiles and banisters. While some functions have been easily adapted to conform to present-day building regulations, the building has retained its minimalistic overall look.

View of the lobby. Modern interior design made of concrete. Reception desk made of natural wood, above a handmade lamp from shells by the artist Billa Reitzner. In the background a staircase leads to the upper floor.
Reception. Above a handmade lamp from shells by the artist Billa Reitzner.

The two top floors hold bright seminar rooms and a spacious holiday flat. The villa and lodges are connected by the stark concrete architecture of the reception area. Alpine tradition fuses here with modern-day timber construction.

Picture of the building group project within the framework of "Altes Garmisch neu gelebt". In the center of the picture you see the residential complex with pointed roofs of different heights. The facade is made of wood and has large windows up to the gable. In the background, a snow-covered peak as well as a wooded mountain range can be seen.
Building group project within the framework of "Altes Garmisch neu gelebt" (Old Garmisch lived anew)

Not only the quartier, a whole housing project was realized on the adjacent site.

Exterior view of the quartier. To the left is the restored and renovated old Villa Friedheim. It is a traditionally held Waldler house with a wooden gable roof. To the right is the modern new building. The wooden facade is broken by large windows. In the background, the mountain panorama stretches into the bright blue sky.
Exterior view of the quartier. On the left you can see the old villa and on the right the adjacent new building. In the background the mountains of Garmisch.

This symbiosis of old and new creates a continuity that points towards the future. Together, the two parts of the quartier form a unified whole.