Visit the Domenig Steinhaus: a building with unique architecture in Austria. You’ll either love or hate it, but one thing is certain, it’s fascinating.
Architecture
Günther Domenig and his twin brother Herbert inherited the grounds of this house after the death of their grandmother. Günther spent his childhood at Lake Ossiach (near Klagenfurt), which is considered a “soft landscape” with the “Mölltal valley” as its rough, hard counterpart. The topography and its features left a great impression on him and are reflected in the architecture of the “Stonehouse” and other buildings and objects on the grounds.
The building is divided into five floors, two of which are underground, with the lower one (spiral chamber) situated below the groundwater level. Many things on the inside and outside connect the architecture to nature and events. For example, a glass cylinder between the first and second floors is filled with groundwater.
The house is used primarily as a workshop space for architecture but is also open to other visitors at certain times.
(Source architecture paragraph: Domenig Steinhaus flyer)
Warmth
The many windows at the back of the building illuminate the hallway. The sun plays with the objects hanging from the ceiling. It is a sight that welcomes you and defers the inevitable hard and cold impression that the use of concrete and metal makes on you.
Looking only at the first floor hallway and the garden at the back, the Domenig Steinhaus seems like a lovely, sunny building with plenty of space for privacy and relaxation. Minus the sunny part on bad weather days…
Cold light
As you explore the rest of the building, you will notice the use of concrete and other cold-looking materials. Only essential furniture is found in the bedrooms, bathrooms and work areas.
Natural lighting is found everywhere. And wherever you go, you’ll find nooks to explore and passageways that lead you to another part of the building or outside.
One of my favorite views is the following view from one of the balconies: no matter who tells me otherwise, this view reminds me of Star Wars.
Experience
As the title says, you either love the architecture of the Domenig Steinhaus, or you hate it. For me, it wasn’t love at first sight and I can’t imagine spending more than a few days here. The “cold” is too much for me. Only in the conservatory on the first floor did I feel any warmth.
On the other hand, the house and grounds are fun to explore. You feel like you just have to follow every corridor and check every corner. The concrete house deserves to be viewed from the front, the back and the side, from the balcony, the hallway and the basement. Depending on where you are, it looks very different.
How to visit Domenig Steinhaus
The Domenig Steinhaus is located at Lake Ossiach near Lake Wörthersee, about a half-hour drive from Klagenfurt and Villach. During my 2021 Austria holiday, the house was open to visitors a few mornings a week for a fee of five euros per person. There is currently no information available on opening hours, but I expect this to change once Austria’s current covid lockdown ends.
You can park your car near the site (don’t drive all the way to the entrance, but use the parking lot about a hundred meters before you get there). For those interested: there is a toilet in the ‘grassy hill’ in the garden.
A visit takes about thirty minutes.
Location: Uferweg 31, 9552 Steindorf am Ossiacher See, Austria
