Villa Jung by Nehse & Gerstein Architekten BDA

_project: Villa Jung
_architecture: NGA Nehse & Gerstein Architekten BDA
_location: Schalksmühle, Germany

The adaptive reuse of historic structures has moved beyond preservation alone. Today, interventions are expected to activate existing buildings, repositioning them within new cultural, social, and professional frameworks. Rather than freezing architecture in time, current approaches embrace transformation as a design strategy, negotiating permanence and change, memory and anticipation. The challenge is not simply to safeguard architectural character, but to recalibrate spatial narratives so they accommodate evolving forms of occupation, collaboration, and exchange.

Located within a green valley in western Germany, a former private residence from 1928 demonstrates this careful negotiation. Once the home of an industrial founder, the building has been renovated and expanded to operate as a think tank, meeting hub, and service center, a multifunctional setting shaped to encourage dialogue and innovation. The intervention deliberately distances itself from the atmosphere of a traditional showroom. Instead, the spaces promote interaction, positioning the building as a platform for exchange rather than display.

The renovation strategy is grounded in continuity. Much of the original structure remains intact, with historical elements integrated and reinterpreted rather than reconstructed. Architectural features are restored without nostalgia, allowing traces of the past to stay visible while introducing a contemporary spatial language aligned with present demands. By setting the historic volume apart and opening new sightlines across the site, the project reinforces its relationship with the surrounding landscape. The garden becomes spatially defined, shifting from background to an active component of the overall experience.

An elongated pavilion complements the villa through measured contrast. Partially embedded into the terrain and constructed in concrete and glass, the new structure maintains a restrained presence. Its roof functions as an accessible terrace, extending the outdoor realm while offering panoramic views of the valley. The connection between both volumes occurs at ground level, preserving their formal independence while establishing a clear spatial dialogue.

Inside, the layout unfolds around three structural cores that organize circulation and support varied uses, from lectures to exhibitions. The central stairwell operates as the primary connective gesture: a sculptural, multi-curved steel staircase linking old and new both functionally and visually. Nearby, a conical column expresses structural forces through diagonals, translating load-bearing logic into spatial clarity.

Through careful positioning, material restraint, and structural precision, the project converts a historic residence into a contemporary environment for exchange, rooted in memory while directed toward future discourse.

_article written by Daniela Moreira da Silva
_film by 9sekunden
_photos by Henrik Schipper
_film curatorship by Architecture Hunter