Hohenzollern Building, Swakopmund, Namibia
The imposing historical building is located in center of Swakopmund, near main Kaiser Wilhelm Street. It is one of the oldest buildings in town.
Hohenzollern Building was built in 1906 (according to other sources in 1909) and used as a Swakopmund hotel (Hotel Hohenzollern). The building was named after German Imperial family. Later in 1912 the Hohenzollern was taken over by the municipality after the hotel license was revoked by the local magistrate when it became a well-known gambling den. Despite building's elegance it had a bad reputation and was used as a brothel and gambling house. The gambling got so notorious that the magistrate revoked the hotel’s license. Hohenzollern Building became an administrative building and the rooms were rented out to the public.
Two extensions flanking the main building were added, designed to blend in with the original architectural style of main building. Extensions were later partitioned and sold as private sectional title units.
The ornate style of the Hohenzollern Building is a neo-baroque, unique for architectural designs in Namibia and southern Africa. It has Renaissance gables, bays and balconies. The ornaments were produced by Croatian builders initially drafted for the construction of the Otavi railway line. Otavi railway station is located on main street in Swakopmund.
The most beautiful and prominent feature, on top of the roof high above the front door, is the statue of a kneeling Atlas holding a world on his shoulders. In 1988 the original concrete figure had to be replaced with the present fiberglass cast version when building was completely renovated by ROXIN.
The Hohenzollern Building boasts some female decorative figures as well as ornate angels, lions and masks. These beautiful additions complement the overall impression of the building, making it one of the most popular tourist attraction in Swakopmund and a must visit location on any tour around Namibia that includes west coast.
The Hohenzollern Building in Swakopmund, Namibia, was officially proclaimed a national monument on 15 June 1983 (according to other sources in 1972).
As the Official Gazette of the time of proclamation reported on the Hohenzollern Building: "An imposing Victorian baroque style double-storeyed building, with its high mansard roof, was erected during 1905-1906 by Hermann Dietz. Architecturally, the building is a relic of the German colonial era".
The Hohenzollern Building was chosen as an exhibit at the Pretoria University School of Architecture 50 year Alumni exhibition held at the Pretoria Art Gallery in 1993.
The Hohenzollern Building had fire accident on 19 June 2019. The flames seemed to have been confined to one apartment on the top floor of the old building. Swakopmund Fire Brigade managed to promptly extinguish the blaze completely a few minutes after arriving at the scene saving the building and its rich history.
The Hohenzollern Building is located on the corner of Libertina Amathila Avenue (formerly Brücken Street) and Tobias Hainyeko Street.
GPS coordinates:
Longitude: 14.525558
Latitude: -22.680381
Facebook:
NAMIBIA:
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SWAKOPMUND:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1swakopmund
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The imposing historical building is located in center of Swakopmund, near main Kaiser Wilhelm Street. It is one of the oldest buildings in town.
Two extensions flanking the main building were added, designed to blend in with the original architectural style of main building. Extensions were later partitioned and sold as private sectional title units.
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| Hohenzollern Building in 1973 |
The most beautiful and prominent feature, on top of the roof high above the front door, is the statue of a kneeling Atlas holding a world on his shoulders. In 1988 the original concrete figure had to be replaced with the present fiberglass cast version when building was completely renovated by ROXIN.
The Hohenzollern Building boasts some female decorative figures as well as ornate angels, lions and masks. These beautiful additions complement the overall impression of the building, making it one of the most popular tourist attraction in Swakopmund and a must visit location on any tour around Namibia that includes west coast.
The Hohenzollern Building in Swakopmund, Namibia, was officially proclaimed a national monument on 15 June 1983 (according to other sources in 1972).
As the Official Gazette of the time of proclamation reported on the Hohenzollern Building: "An imposing Victorian baroque style double-storeyed building, with its high mansard roof, was erected during 1905-1906 by Hermann Dietz. Architecturally, the building is a relic of the German colonial era".
The Hohenzollern Building was chosen as an exhibit at the Pretoria University School of Architecture 50 year Alumni exhibition held at the Pretoria Art Gallery in 1993.
The Hohenzollern Building had fire accident on 19 June 2019. The flames seemed to have been confined to one apartment on the top floor of the old building. Swakopmund Fire Brigade managed to promptly extinguish the blaze completely a few minutes after arriving at the scene saving the building and its rich history.
The Hohenzollern Building is located on the corner of Libertina Amathila Avenue (formerly Brücken Street) and Tobias Hainyeko Street.
GPS coordinates:
Longitude: 14.525558
Latitude: -22.680381
Facebook:
NAMIBIA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/namibia.namibia
SWAKOPMUND:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1swakopmund
TRAVEL NAMIBIA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelnamibia
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