august 2020
3 qUeStIOnS FOr
Thomas Kröger
the berLIn arChIteKt
behInd the red barn
Portholes looking out onto the waves
22
No. 03_2020
FreiFrau ManuFaktur GmbH & Co. KG . Gildestraße 9 . 32657 Lemgo . phone: +49.5261.97 13 30 0 . www.freifrau.com
Thomas, when you create a design, are interior furnishings such
as chairs, carpets, and tables part of your thought-process?
Yes, to a certain extent. essentially, when I design a building,
I am writing a script: I have to imagine how my clients will use
the house, and in that film, furniture obviously has a part to
play. We don’t flesh out the roles too much, though. You could
think of our design like a set of shelves: it is something with a
specific form and function, but the owner is the person who
actually fills each shelf.
To what extent have the rolling hills of the Uckermark
influenced your designs in the area?
Greatly. the houses I’ve worked on are really little more than
portholes looking out onto the waves of the countryside. all of
them are open to the landscape.
Your designs have won several Callwey ‘house of the Year’
awards. What do prizes mean to you
I’m always delighted to win. the houses which get the awards
are always very special places, and I would love to think that,
when I win a prize, that gets a few more people to think a
little more about what you really need to live somewhere
– and what you don’t need. there should be an awareness
for just how simple a space can be, yet how special excellent
craftsmanship can make it.
read the full interview on freifrau.com
