Museumsportal Berlin

The "Roman Baths", which were integrated into Lenné´s landscaped park, is very near the Charlottenhof Palace. Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Ludwig Persius had already delivered the first plans in 1826, whilst involved in the building of the Charlottenhof Palace. Crown Prince Frederick William (IV) contributed to the design process with abundant drawings of his own. Although the construction of the baths began in 1829, the whole complex took more than a decade to complete.
A pergola connects the Court Gardener´s House, built in the Italian country house style of the 15th century, to a pavilion in the shape of a Greek temple on a podium. An open arcaded hall on the other side precedes a building that was modelled on a Roman villa. Among its other functions, it houses a bathing room from which the entire complex takes its name.
The asymmetrical concept contributed to the arrangement of small, open spaces, which were designed as gardens or resting areas. The complex’s location on a man-made lake added to its charm.