Kanzlerbungalow, Federal residence in Bonn, Germany
The Kanzlerbungalow is a steel-skeleton building by Sep Ruf, built 1963–1966 in the park of Palais Schaumburg in Bonn. It consists of two offset squares, 24 m × 24 m for representation and 20 m × 20 m for private living, each with an 8 m × 8 m atrium courtyard; the smaller one holds a swimming pool. Floors and terraces are tiled in travertine, ceilings are suspended with Brazilian pine, and sliding walls allow changing room combinations.
The building was completed in 1964 following plans by architect Sep Ruf and remained in use until the government relocated to Berlin in 1999. Five chancellors lived in the house during the years Bonn served as the capital and hosted both national and international guests there.
The name Kanzlerbungalow simply means "Chancellor's Bungalow", from its official role as the chancellor's residence and reception building. Helmut Kohl called it an "absurd building" for a chancellor's flat, and had silk fabric stretched over the clinker walls and a halogen starry sky installed in the dining room. The Chancellor's Sofa, designed by Sep Ruf, was shown at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.
The Haus der Geschichte organizes guided visits on Sunday afternoons at 2 PM and 3 PM, while group arrangements are possible on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. All rooms are on ground level with step-free access throughout the property.
The Chancellor's Sofa, designed by Sep Ruf for the bungalow, was reproduced in a small series for the German contribution to the 14th Architecture Biennale in Venice in 2014, where the Swiss duo Alex Lehnerer and Savvas Ciriacidis rebuilt the house 1:1 inside the German pavilion.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,896 contributors worldwide.