Architecture / urban planning
sutter³ GmbH & Co KG, Freiburg
Client
Rainhof GbR
Completion date
2010
Awards
Bauwerk Schwarzwald e.V. Architecture Route 2022, Architecture Prize in the Black Forest Building Culture 2010 category
Description
The Rainhof with its inn and barn as well as the preserved mill with Leibgedinge was built in 1790. It was situated on the most important historical travel route from France to Austria and is said to have served as a transformer station for the carriages before the uphill stretch through the Höllental valley. With an area of approx. 2000 square metres, the barn - whose historical substance is very well preserved - is one of the largest of its kind in southern Baden. The building has been renovated and extended in line with its listed status, preserving the barn's historical character and old building fabric as far as possible.
History / historical building survey
The Rainhof was mentioned in early documents. The barn, which characterises the village, was built using tried and tested construction methods, without the use of machine-made nails and screws. The building, which is over 150 years old, has hardly changed over the decades: a solid construction with brick outer walls and steep gables, stone walls and a wooden inner frame. The ground floor was divided crosswise, i.e. divided into sections with different uses: several cattle sheds with feeding corridors, a high threshing floor behind the large gate, probably a barn and stables behind the two low gates. On the upper floor there was a row of simple servants' chambers and a hay store. A very elaborate, representative farm building in terms of construction and building materials.
Renovation and conversion
The barn was carefully renovated by Rainhof GbR after its purchase in 2008. While preserving the historical character of the building, a restaurant with a terrace and garden restaurant opened on the ground floor in May 2010, as well as a 450 square metre "market barn" with regional producers and a bookshop with home accessories, where readings, exhibitions and cultural events regularly take place in the adjoining room. A hotel with 16 rooms and a wellness area with a steam bath and sauna has also been created.
Conclusion
Rescue of the barn, one of the largest in southern Baden and a landmark of the area, with a successful utilisation concept as the basis for the revitalisation of the listed building. Contribution to the tourist experience of the Dreisamtal valley.
