Liberty Hotel

Iron bars give way to drapilux

Where prisoners used to sit out their sentences behind heavy doors and iron bars, today there’s a feel-good atmosphere – the former Offenburg prison has been converted into boutique hotel Liberty. The mix of original details, a smart lighting concept and high-quality materials have transformed the former prison into a unique property. Bespoke blinds and dim-outs from drapilux create a cosy atmosphere throughout the hotel.

It took several years of planning and construction to turn the once dreary place into a luxury hotel with 38 rooms and suites as well as spacious lounge areas. Konrad Knoblauch GmbH from Markdorf on Lake Constance was responsible for the concept and planning, overall design, construction management and general contracting of the whole project. “The most important thing for this conversion project was to give the historical and somewhat depressing legacy of the prison building the right dose of lightness,” explained Katja Scharnagel, Project Manager at Konrad Knoblauch. For example, two or three of the confined cells were combined to create the guest rooms, which were then decorated with homely touches. The almost 50 skylights were fitted with custom Roman blinds from drapilux (article 795), making them pleasant sources of light.

The former prison is made up of two brick buildings which today house the guest rooms, and are now connected by a transparent glass cube, containing the communal areas such as premium restaurant ‘Bread and Water’, a bar, and the lobby. “The ‘carpet’ is a key feature of the reception area – it’s actually a pattern we etched into the concrete floor. However, there’s definitely no lack of comfort,” stated Scharnagel, explaining the concept. All the furnishings were chosen with the utmost care and attention, from designer furniture to the floor length dim-outs (article 243) from drapilux.

Architect: Katja Scharnagel, Konrad Knoblauch GmbH, Markdorf