Analyzing Schinkel - Schloss Charlottenhof

Charlottenhof Palace was the summer residence of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, the later King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. Called the "romanticist on the throne" he was committed to the world of arts and architecture. Coming back from a journey to Italy he presented to Schinkel a sketch for a little castle. By remodeling of an already existing farm house Schinkel transformed the king's ideas into what became "Schloss Charlottenburg", being built between 1826 and 1829.
It is located southwest of Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park at Potsdam.

In few other projects of Schinkel an overall composition is so obviously present as in the plan for the summer residence of the Crown Prince. Yet it is not so easy to be clearly identified and revealed, maybe because of the Prussian architect’s consummate ease in handling the rules of his own design not too strenuously. The following graphic analysis of the design for Charlottenhof, which was often changed and adapted in an intense cooperation with both the client and Lennè, try to illustrate the principles that might have been used. Due to the difficulties in retrieving accurate plans, but, as we suspect, mainly because of Schinkel’s virtuous way of adapting his ideas and geometries to different situations and requirements, the schemes are to be considered as idealized abstractions of the built reality. They show the intentions we supposed more than their actual translation into buildings.

Overall plan of Charlottenhof

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