Luxury behind bars
A stay at the Hotel “Liberty” in Offenburg no longer has anything of the barren cell behind bars of yore about it, although guests check in to the former 19th-century prison. Architect Jürgen Grossmann substantially converted the prison building, under the eagle eye of the heritage authorities. Alongside the brick walls, all that remains of the original are the old doors by way of decoration and the prison walls – the countless walls between the tiny cells have almost all disappeared. Moreover, the separate sections of the complex are now linked by a modern glass cube. For the interior, Designstudio Knoblauch has chosen anthracite and black – in combination with white details. Leather, wood and many fabrics introduce homely warmth into the elegant industrial chic of the total of 38 rooms and suites.
The interior architects selected Axor products to fit out the bathrooms. In line with the building’s historical ambience, the washstands courtesy of Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola are an homage to the traditional wash basin. In the Junior Suite, there’s also a free-standing bathtub from the Axor-Urquiola collection. And it is accompanied by the soft curves of the Axor Citterio E floor-based bath tub mixer with a special “Black Chrome” finish. The dark sleekness extends to the single-lever washstand mixer and the showerheads with thermostat modules. The ensemble is rounded out by bathroom accessories from the Axor Universal Accessoires line, masterminded again by Antonio Citterio. (am)
