Garden Restaurant

Garden Restaurant in Hanover, Germany by Architekten Schweger Partner, 2000

The following text is contributed by Architekten Schweger Partner with images by Bernhard Kroll.

The garden restaurant at the "Herrenhäuser Gärten", which was awarded a 1st prize following a competition, was designed and built to meet the high aesthetic standards of the internationally known garden ensemble. Located on the grounds of the former kitchens by the fig gardens, the design for the new building adds to the existing visual relationship between the gallery, the atrium and the old Herrenhäuser street. The architectural idea is to manifest the theme of the hedgerows instead of making the new gastronomy appear like a building.

Shifting through greenish glazed glass translates the baroque theme of hedgerows into architecture. The idea of meandering through a baroque garden like a stage setting is developed with modern elements. Framed and steered views, a central theme in the baroque, have been adapted into the architecture.

In analogy to historic orangeries, the whole garden facade can be opened to let the park flow into the building during the summer. The idea of a stage setting with folded layers is being interpreted by the choice of materials. A variety of glass qualities, steel and wood, are used to play with the varying degrees of transparency of the baroque hedgerows.

The clear elegance of the interiors allows for both a leisurely cafe-like ambience during the day and a more formal restaurant atmosphere at nighttime.

Glossy glass facades, concrete surfaces for the ceilings and walls, swiss pear tree for the club room, Mucharzer sandstone for the floors and glass mosaic for the restrooms, are reminders of the different themes: orangery, grotto and main lounge.

There is a close relationship between light and architecture. Reflections formed on the different materials by natural light are creatively being transformed by artificial light. Light is used as a medium to enhance architectural ideas. The double-skin facade, which is entirely made of glass, is being illuminated from in between its layers. Hence, a varying game of color and light turns the fig garden into an attractive space for evening events.