Brief story:
In November 2023, a total of 11 Laurens Biaxo cast iron radiators were supplied for the restoration of Villa Iwan and Franziska Rosenthal in Hohenems, Austria. The radiators were finished in matt black, giving their classic column design a restrained presence suited to the villa’s richly decorated historic interiors.
The villa took its present historicist form in 1890, when Iwan and Franziska Rosenthal, members of a prominent Jewish textile-manufacturing family, commissioned Zurich architects Alfred Chiodera and Theophil Tschudy to transform an earlier house into a grand private residence. Glass mosaics in the staircase and elaborate wall and ceiling paintings reflect the craftsmanship of the period. The building complex has been protected as a historic monument since 1988.
The comprehensive restoration, carried out between 2021 and 2025, focused on preserving the historic fabric while preparing the villa for a new public role. On 5 April 2025, it opened as Literaturhaus Vorarlberg. The Biaxo radiators formed part of the refurbishment, introducing new heating equipment with a traditional cast iron character.
Project pictures and galleries:
- Building and interiors: Villa Rosenthal – Stadtmarketing Hohenems
- Restoration pictures and background: Villa Rosenthal – Austrian Federal Monuments Authority
- Our Flickr: Laurens Photostream
Products in this project:
- Radiators: 11 Biaxo cast iron radiators
- Finish: Matt black
- Supplied: November 2023
- Product catalogue: Laurens cast iron radiator range
Other useful links:
- Original villa architects: Alfred Chiodera and Theophil Tschudy, Zurich
- Restoration architects: Nägele Waibel ZT GmbH – project information from the City of Hohenems
- Current cultural use: Literaturhaus Vorarlberg
- History: Villa Iwan and Franziska Rosenthal
Location:
Villa Iwan and Franziska Rosenthal / Literaturhaus Vorarlberg
Radetzkystraße 1
6845 Hohenems, Austria