Design No. 39 — Summer Villa for the Count Kinski, at Teplitz
This villa was designed about the year 1852, for an Austrian nobleman, who wished to have a villa in the English Elizabethan character. The plan was arranged after his own figured sketches, and it is given here as showing the requirements considered desirable for such a building in a summer place of retirement, or palace for a foreign nobleman’s occupation. The porch was approached on four sides by flights of steps 12 ft. 6 in. in diameter; it opened into a hall b, 20 ft. in length by 14 ft. in width. The drawing-room c, of noble size, with two bay windows, was 36 ft. in length by 22 in width. The dining-room d, in the opposite side of the hall, was 28 ft. in length by 18 ft. in width. The butler’s pantry k, and the servants’ offices and kitchen g, with a large store-closet h, and scullery i, adjoined. A bread-room is shown at j, l is the servants’ hall, m a china-closet, n a store-room, and o the servants’ staircase, q q are the servants’ entrances, and r r the closets.
Returning to the principal portion of the building, the chief staircase, v, opens from the entrance hall, e e e are nurseries, and f is the library. On the first floor, a is the balcony over the porch; this was to be used for smoking, &c., b is the best bed-chamber, and c the boudoir to the same, d is the second best bedchamber, and e its boudoir, f is the third best bedchamber, and g its boudoir, h is a bedroom without any boudoir, i is the housekeeper’s bedroom, k k k the men’s sleeping room, i housemaid’s closet, j j closets, l l linen-closets, m a closet or bath-room, n the principal staircase, and o the servants’ staircase.
The attic plan was devoted to the sleeping rooms, b b b, of the female servants. Here plans are made
(the building being so large) on a smaller scale than the other plans in this volume.
The perspective view merely exhibits the common forms of Elizabethan character. The tower which formed the entrance was 70 ft. in height from the foundation to the top of its roof, the height of the ground-floor rooms was 14 ft. 3 in. They had rich plaster friezes, and the staircase had carved oak Elizabethan balustrading. The second-floor rooms were 12 ft. 3 in. in height, and were very plain in character. The upper floor of the tower was open, but could be closed by sashes; this was intended for a smoking retreat. A small detail of one of the gabled windows in front is given below. Altogether, the design had a most picturesque effect, and its style met with approval. It combined utility with elegance, and completely answered the objects for which it was constructed.
Another villa was designed for an Austrian nobleman, the Prince Clary: a view of it is given in the first illustration of this volume, through the window of the architect’s study. It was intended as a summer retreat for the Prince and his friends when engaged in a fishing-excursion on the noble river the Elbe, on the banks of which it was placed. It contained a large centre dining-room, 48 ft. by 22, with a saloon or drawing-room, 40 ft. by 20 ft., and extensive accommodation for the kitchen and servants’ departments. The upper storey contained 14 best bedrooms, each with an ante or dressing-room, besides bath-room and the sleeping apartments for the domestics.