The first in a series of three buildings, each intended as a manifesto, that O.M. Ungers designed for his family (and in this case for his company, too). It sparked a debate in Germany: Ungers was accused of creating a house that was too “Expressionist” and sculptural/personal. An innovative aspect of the building was the “honest” use of unpainted and uncladded exposed concrete and clinker brick. This is one of the reasons why the building was recognized as an early manifesto of Brutalism. Banham included it in his book on Brutalism in 1966.

Ungers Residence and Office Building has repeatedly served as a field of experimentation for the architect and has undergone several conversions and redesigns over the years. The biggest change dates back to 1989/90, when Ungers added a cubic library extension clad in black Eifel basalt to the rear of the property. 

Both buildings are heritage protected: The residential and office part from 1958/59 was listed in 1992 and the library extension was listed in 2012.

Since 2007, the building houses Ungers’ Archive for Architectural Studies (last updated on August 1, 2024).