Alternative Histories: Carmody Groarke on Haus-Rücker-Co

Ashtray

Our interest in Haus-Rücker-Co’s drawing lies less in the technological implications that created the artificial environment and focusses instead on the spatial tension created between Mies van der Rohe’s Haus Lange and the heart-shaped bubble that surrounds it. The drawing removes reference to the context, within and outside the villa, forming on a new environment that frames the building as an object.

The form of our model interprets the importance of this new space. It creates a solid impression of the space in between the Haus-Rücker’s external envelope and the planar surfaces of the villa itself.

The materiality of the model draws from the travertine detailing of Haus Lange and forms a counterpoint to the ephemeral and ethereal qualities of Haus-Rücker-Co’s inflatable skin. The heart-shaped model is left upturned revealing the volumetric imprint of the villa, while giving the architectural idea an object-like quality.

– Carmody Groarke