An industrial monument is transformed into a powerhouse for ideas

Schorsch Brüderl has always had a weakness for historic buildings that radiate charisma. He still remembers how the water tower in Pirach by Traunreut was in his youth. When the industrial monument, built in the 1950s, lost its function and was put up for sale, Schorsch saw the opportunity to create something special in a unique location. This is how the water tower, now revitalised with great attention to all the original structural details, became a reference point for visionary design and construction. A think tank for planners, a holiday residence, a place of energy and a place for living – what he gave the brüderl. brand was an entirely new experiential dimension.

One particular highlight is the 700 kilogram spiral staircase with steel side cheeks, fashioned from a single piece of material, which connects the ground floor with the first floor of the loft apartment planned by Benedikt Brüderl and his wife, Theresa. Another eye catcher is the kitchen unit fashioned from a single piece of Spessart oak.
The unique, fine quality furnishings and found historical objects on the second floor lend the ‘Schorsch’ holiday apartment an extra special flair – surpassed only by the mountain view of the Chiemgau Alps. No less fascinating is the exhibition space integrated in the water tower, which is used to showcase classic furniture, as well as the think tank and creative room for inspiring events, located in the floors above.

The water tower is visible from a great distance as it spirals upwards towards the sky to a height of 30 metres. Its exterior façade is composed of offset-mounted steel panels, which reflect the surroundings while also lending the building its lightness. In contrast, the adjacent cube of carbonised larch wood slats has the effect of enlarging the living space and connects the nature outside with the interior through the large glass panels.

Crowned at its peak by the brüderl. the water tower stands as a symbol of pioneering architectural and design solutions visible from far and wide.