Villa Jako, Private residence in Altona, Germany

Villa Jako is a residence in Altona that blends Roman architectural features with other design elements, including a courtyard centered on a water basin. The property sits on expansive grounds with landscaped gardens, shade trees, and terraced levels descending toward the Elbe.

Architect Walther Baedeker designed the building in 1922 on a site with deeper historical roots. The property underwent extensive renovation under a later owner who reshaped the entire composition.

Karl Lagerfeld bought the estate in 1991 and named it Villa Jako in memory of his late partner Jacques de Bascher. He had the house reworked by the Hamburg art restorer Renate Kant and the park revised by landscape architect Uwe Isterling, who added shrubs and modern rhododendron varieties such as 'Lee's Dark Purple'. In 1997 Lagerfeld held a lavish party to say farewell to the address.

Villa Jako is a private residence at Wilmans Park 17 and is not open to visitors; the grounds and house can only be viewed from outside the tall entrance gate. The 12,000 m² lot runs almost 100 metres down the Elbe slope, with natural-stone bastions supporting the east and west sides. A circular path links the garden areas, but it lies behind the gate.

The name Villa Jako was chosen by Karl Lagerfeld in memory of his late partner Jacques de Bascher, who died in 1989. Lagerfeld bought the property in 1991, had it reworked by restorer Renate Kant and the park revised by landscape architect Uwe Isterling, then left in 1997 with a large party.