From a listed school building to a private hotel
A listed building in Schwelm, Germany, was used as a school building until 2012. The public building, built in 1915, became a private hotel with 35 stylishly furnished guest rooms in 2018. The former, attached gym from the 1980s was dismantled and now houses the hotel restaurant.
The vision: A hotel is to be converted from a former school building, in which the original character of use and the original substance are to be retained. The Berlin hotelier Kurt Hermandung and his partner Marc Konopatzki have realized their dream of their own small private hotel. This is close to Düsseldorf, Cologne and the Ruhr metropolises. "We wanted a small, fine house with character that we can make something very special," say the owners. "After a long search, we came across this former elementary school – and an investor who could imagine turning it into a hotel and the former gymnasium into a restaurant." In terms of design and concept, the former schoolhouse from 1915 and the gymnasium added in 1980 were based on the original use of the building.
Classrooms became elegant hotel rooms
The local architecture firm Wilde and Wehnau implemented this ambitious conversion concept, from the design to the implementation planning and construction management. Their services also included the concept of the monument protection concept, the planning of the interior design and the lighting design. The exterior facade with its typical slate shingles, the representative bay window and the green rain gutters were restored and preserved under the watchful eye of the listed building. The former classrooms of the primary school have been transformed into elegantly furnished single and double rooms with oak parquet and spacious bathrooms. A junior suite was installed in the attic. The minibars that used to be in the rooms are a thing of the past. The alternative is much more original and ecologically more sensible: A central “school kiosk” on the ground floor offers a variety of drinks.
A special feature in the house is the restored historical fountain with fresh drinking water, which extends over two floors, emphasize the hotel owners. Old certificates and photos are reminiscent of the earlier school days. You can find yourself in the whole building. Gym boxes serve as luggage racks in the rooms. The gym's old rung climbing wall was also given a new function. It serves as a partition to the stairs in the restaurant.
Former gym as a restaurant
The rather unadorned gymnasium was completely dismantled in the course of the renovation work. The result is a modern building which now houses the “Die Turnhalle” restaurant, the lounge and the bar. In the historic school building, a lift provides barrier-free access to all floors and connects the hotel rooms with the restaurant. The latter is also open to the public. A newly installed ceiling divides the former gymnasium into two floors. This enabled the area to be doubled to 800 square meters. This made space for four conference rooms and a small bar for catering in the conference area. The extension with its large glass surfaces is a successful contrast to the old and lovingly restored school building and complements it in an ideal way. ■
