Time out

The Hotel Wilmina in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district is the epitome of a successfully converted historical building: Erected in 1896 as one of the first buildings in the district and in use until 1985 as a criminal court, women’s prison, youth detention center, and archive of the land registry, this red brick ensemble is extraordinary in character. In its hidden protected location in a rear courtyard behind high walls, the hotel’s beauty reveals itself in stages. A first visit therefore feels like a little adventure, because after checking in at the reception in a separate room near the entrance, you follow a curved path into the depths of the complex, pass through heavy steel gates, and find yourself at the end of the path in a lushly landscaped rear courtyard. This provides access both to the hotel rooms and to the Lovis restaurant. The former criminal court building with its impressive staircases and stained-glass windows now houses the Amtssalon cultural space.

In its repurposing of the site, Grüntuch Ernst Architekten did not erase its checkered and also oppressive past but rather carefully incorporated it into the construction, (work lasted over a decade), while also adding new elements. The original cell doors have been preserved, as have the long corridors leading to the rooms. The interventions in the architecture have been so precise and deliberate that they are barely noticeable at first glance. Yet the conversion was an immense undertaking: Many partition walls were removed to create airy rooms and communal areas, skylights were installed, windows enlarged, and the restaurant integrated. A pool and sauna are also waiting to be discovered on the landscaped roof. The 44 guest rooms, including a penthouse and garden loft, now offer a bright atmosphere with white walls, wooden floors, and modern furnishings. Less is more here; nothing disturbs the eye, and every detail has been carefully chosen. Behind these thick walls, the hustle and bustle of dynamic Berlin fades away completely. Instead, you can immerse yourself in a calm, welcoming atmosphere that is gently emphasized by the harmonious contrast of cold and warm materials and dimmed and bright lighting moods.

The bathrooms make a decisive contribution to the feel-good atmosphere in Hotel Wilmina, and fitting them out was also a challenge: Given the various different dimensions, individual solutions were called for as was many years of expertise in bathroom objects. And Bette, with a history that goes back to 1952, has that. From the diverse range available at the family-run company, the architects singled out the products “BetteSelect”, “BetteUltra”, and “Bette Craft” for this project: “BetteSelect” has an elegant tub shape with a sloping back, which supports a particularly comfortable reclining position, while the central positioning of the drain means it can also be used as a spacious shower. The rectangular “BetteUltra” shower tray, meanwhile, was available in sixty different dimensions as well as in floor-level, almost floor-level, and slightly raised formats. The option chosen was the “BetteUltra” in glazed titanium steel with heights of 1,000 millimeters, 1,050 to 1,500 millimeters, and 1,600 to 2,000 millimeters. The washstands are adorned in parallel with the round “BetteCraft” basins: Thanks to the upwardly tapering side walls, their organic shape appears delicate – despite the extremely robust material properties of the titanium steel, which is shaped by hand and glazed on the inside and outside. “The bathrooms have a simple and clear concept: Authentic materials and reduced colors create a light and carefree atmosphere. We chose Bette because Bette uses steel. It’s a real material, no plastic,” says Armand Grüntuch.

With the perfect customization of the products in the Hotel Wilmina, Bette once again demonstrates very clearly that customers can rely on the company’s innovative strength – as it made clear previously with the first free-standing seamless bathtub, the first floor-level shower surface, and the first shower tile. Thanks to their precise implementation, the transition from the living areas of the rooms to the bathrooms appears seamless. The refined aesthetics of Bette’s products underscore this impression and provide guests with a downtown oasis.