The first house he designed for an artist is his own, where he lives with his wife Leiko Ikemura and which appears like a chameleon. But only from the outside, from the inside it is soon obvious that this is about something else. The heroes of art history come to mind. Tintoretto’s paintings, Giacometti’s sculptures, Zumthor’s buildings. Not because they echo off the walls as quotes, but because they shape the mood and dimension, convey a perspective where there is, in reality, none. Creative tricks such as walls with a slight slant so that the rooms run more upwards and outwards demonstrate that von Matt is influenced by the world of painting.

His house remains modest and yet it is more. Although it should be less. “The richness of our house lies in its reduction,” says Leiko Ikemura. “Less is more” Ludwig Mies van der Rohe translated the axiom for himself. The principle of order and design applies to the Bauhaus, but also to this artist’s house in Berlin. It is a domicile that comes alive with its open spaces, vistas, play of light and shadow. A place for a couple that travels a lot around the world and needs a home. Perhaps this house with its five floors can be such a home – both for them and also for the visitors whom they offer a welcoming apartment. Perhaps also for passers-by who view the house from the outside and may think it has always been there.

“All our friends warned us,” von Matt admits, talking about the building plans, “but we didn’t put any pressure on ourselves. We needed six years for the design, and it took 14 months of building until we were able to move in.” Six years of planning – some icons took even longer. Cathedrals, for example, or some construction sites in Berlin. But in the end, the house was built, and what would perhaps do it better justice than a story? Because it has spaces that could be written by a writer. With rooms that tell stories. Of course, as in any good story, there is a heart, a wing door behind which there lies a universe.

The place she has now chosen as her home is made for a multifaceted life. Her assistants work directly above the studio. But the house remains quiet. It seems as if the walls themselves have absorbed a yearning for silence. A sensitive dwelling that plays with light and breathes deeply depending on the time of day and season – von Matt has seen to that. Because an artist’s house needs air: green courtyards, loggias and roof terraces. Plus materials that emphasise what is less not more. This includes gypsum plaster walls that provide a healthy indoor climate and, of course, the rough language of concrete. “These plain materials allow the surfaces to speak for themselves – honestly and frankly, giving the rooms a feeling of groundedness and character,” explains the architect. Contrasts, balance, harmony – everything is interconnected in Ikemura and von Matt’s artist’s house, including the sparse furnishings, combining classic with vintage pieces. “I think what we need is not just material prosperity but also spiritual well-being,” says Ikemura. “A way to experience the questions we have in a deeper sense – like why we are here, where we have come from, where we are going. These are simple questions, but nobody knows the answers. That’s what art and religion can be so helpful for.” And her house also adds another voice, making it more relevant than ever.