Wengerter Häuschen mit Pflückgärten - vineyard hut and picking gardens
Vineyard huts or even winegrowers' cottages have little practical significance today. As the winegrowers' equipment could not be transported by tractor in the past, it had to be stored on site. They also served as protection against bad weather.
EXHIBITING THE LANDSCAPE
The combination of topography, favorable soils, a particularly mild climate and the wine growers' activities has given the community of Kernen its special morphological character over the centuries. The intervention by Kuehn Malvezzi at the highest point of the hill picks up on the regional typology of the vintners's cottage. It frames the unique view over the vineyards, the valley and beyond. The specific cultural landscape here is the Remstal Garden Show's exhibit, the architecture is its display. From this starting point and in collaboration with the landscape architects Atelier Le Balto, a trail is created that translates the motif of the Wengerter Häuschen into a series of gardens. The trail invites visitors to stroll along the slope and rediscover the existing landscape alongside the new gardens.
WENGERTER HÄUSCHEN
Variations on the winegrower's hut are a recurring architectural element in the region's vineyards. They are used by winegrowers as shelters and for storing equipment. The new hut fits in with the existing typology, but the reduction to the essential structural elements gives it its own distinctive character. A 3x5 metre plinth defines the base area, with larch wood frames constructed above it. The structure of traditional tiled roofs is echoed in the wooden shingles covering both the roof and the sides. On the valley side, two large steps in the base invite you to linger and enjoy the view. A natural plateau serves as a terrace.
PFLÜCKGÄRTEN
The Wengerter Häuschen marks the start of the parcours. From here a small path leads over the hill past four terraced picking gardens. Like the cottage, the gardens are 3x5 metres in size, but contrast with the strict architecture. The different combinations of trees, shrubs and perennials, such as quince with Mirabelle plum or gooseberry with blackcurrant, give each garden its own character and offer a variety of fruit. Between spring and autumn there is always a good reason to take a walk along the hillside. The lower garden forms a bracket to the Wengerter Häuschen. Here the larch timbers form a pergola which serves as a climbing frame for the kiwi plants.
