Tucked away on Troy Hill in Pittsburgh is an art installation like no other. It is hard to express in words just what La Hütte Royal is, but if you like fun houses and installation art, you’re going to love this place.
In this former squatters’ residence, artist Thorsten Brinkmann of Hamburg, Germany has created an entirely new space within an ordinary home. Brinkmann was commissioned by art collector Evan Mirapaul to do whatever he wished with this architectural space.
With his artistic freedom, Brinkmann upended the architecture, adding extra floors in some areas and making labyrinth-like passageways throughout the whole place.
Most of the objects used are found objects, and every room has a new surprise. Tours are by appointment only, but once you’re inside, you’re left to your own devices and told to start in the basement and work your way up. You’re also told to not touch anything, but to try to open anything with a handle which immediately piqued my interest! In one of the final rooms, there is even a sort of mini golf, and the last surprise I won’t spoil, but involves some found objects from a hair salon repurposed in a fantastic way.
Below are some pictures from my trip to La Hütte Royal last fall; you can’t take large cameras into the house so they are all shot on my phone and most are of my friend Marissa to give scale to the things we found.
I hope you get to visit this crazy place! Down the street is another creation commissioned by Evan Mirapaul called the Kunzhaus, and that’s next on my list!
Keystone Artist Archive 