The Sceptical Structures of Max: 06

2019

sheet chipboard, tubular chipboard profile, historical and modern objects, Flatbed printed text

115 × 57 × 30 cm (45 ¼ × 22 ½ × 11 ¾ inches)

Karl Nothhelfer, 1900 - 1980. 'Detail of repair on the aging Villa Himmelheber'.INDUSTRIAL and occasional residential architect Karl Nothhelfer was in fact better known for his furniture. Woking mostly in solid woods, his material set was later to be dominated by the particleboard produced by Himmelheber. It is assumed they were friends as, Nothhelfer designed both the laboratory and a private residence for Himmelheber, in his hometown of Baiserbronn. The laboratory has since been destroyed, but the 'Villa Himmelheber' residence still stands.On his regular trips to Japan, Himmelheber was introduced to Shintoism and animism and would draw inspiration from both the belief systems and Japanese culture through the rest of his life. these influences found their way into the architecture of the Villa Himmelheber.The building displays a modernist simplicity typical of Nothhelfers practice - further incorporating the exotic fascinations of Himmleheber. the exterior panels are reminiscent of 'shoji' - originally screens fashioned from translucent paper over frames of wood. There is an interior rock garden, and further up behind the building a private Shinto shrine.Detail of a cement repair to an outside wall, reproduced here in a three dimensional rendering. Rear of the Villa Himmelheber, Baiersbronn, DE