Haus Crodel (Villa Niemeyer)

This house, designed and lived in by architect Johannes Niemeyer, is a highly original piece of Modernist architecture. The two- to three-storey stucco building with projecting flat roofs is situated on a hill in the suburb of Kröllwitz where it is a powerful and imposing presence in the landscape of the Saale Valley. Flowing lines are created by the curved ground plan and functional Modernist stylistic elements such as bold cornice bands, inspired perhaps by the Dutch Expressionism of the De Stijl movement and ‘organic’ architecture. The balconies, terraces, round bay and garden (also designed by Niemeyer) ensure that the house stands out impressively among the others in the neighbourhood. To lend an appearance of lightness to the house, the architect painted each floor a paler green than the one below. This is starkly set off by the white cornices, concrete-coloured window frames and red chimneys.