Laokuvée. On labels for wine and stone.

Noble simplicity, quiet grandeur Johann Joachim Winckelmann coined this enduring phrase in 1756, inspired by the 2,000 year-old “Laocoon Group” – perhaps the most important testament to ancient sculpture. Winckelmann was not alone in drawing inspiration from Laocoon; Gotthold Ephraim Lessing made it the centerpiece of his own aesthetic theory, while Goethe waxed lyrical about it being a model “of symmetry and diversity, of stillness and movement, of contrasts and gradations, which present themselves to the viewer in part sensuously, in part spiritually.”

This aspect – that contrasts in and as material can merge or even transcend one another – is a defining and outstanding characteristic of sculpture. Light and shadow, distance and closeness, texture and depth, and much more all play their part. As a three-dimensional art form in which materiality is paramount, sculpture is the visual art form most closely related to architecture.

“I never formally studied sculpture, at least not directly. But while training in classical drawing at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence – before I embarked on my architecture studies – part of our curriculum involved drawing casts of classical sculptures, Laocoon among them.”

Some drawings took a week to complete. This small, indirect preliminary study of sculpture was deeply rooted in the exploration of light and shadow, chiaroscuro, and perspectives of proximity and distance. That experience indelibly shaped my architectural thinking and sparked a lasting affinity for stone. I’m especially drawn to natural stone facades, because their materiality allows for a multifaceted interplay of haptic, optical, and tectonic qualities.

Take Jura Poros from Hofmann Naturstein, for instance – a Bavarian limestone we used for the facade of our recently completed Vertikum in Düsseldorf. Through different surface finishes, this stone’s color can range from light beige to warm yellow. From a distance, the Vertikum facade appears beautifully uniform, smooth, and precise – a fitting expression of the building’s urban planning aim: creating clarity. But anyone standing directly in front of facade can see and feel a wonderfully dynamic texture that is never the same because the light is never the same. The facade is fully itself, yet never entirely identical in appearance – or vice versa. Its character responds to changing light and the viewer’s perspective, while maintaining its depth. As in (ancient) sculpture, I aimed to avoid sharp edges, favoring fluid transitions.

Of course, the Vertikum is no Laocoon.

But our facade echoes Goethe’s reflections on sculpture: symmetry and diversity, stillness and movement.

Speaking of stone, the name “Hofmann” carries its own multifaceted significance. The (lime-)stone of one Hoffmann family shapes architectural surfaces that embody both clarity and complexity. Meanwhile, the (lime-)stone of another Hofmann family shapes exceptional wines with similar qualities. As the winery puts it: “Good wine grows on good stone.” Their grapes are grown in soil rich with Franconian shell limestone, known as “Röttinger Feuerstein,” which imparts a distinct minerality. These two Hofmann families are unrelated, yet they seem intrinsically connected – united by name and, quite literally, by their livelihood. The collaboration of these two limestone dynasties, already years in the making, feels not only fitting but inevitable.

Each year, Hofmann Naturstein invites a partner to design a wine label for a Hofmann winery vintage. When I received this invitation, I felt both honored and delighted. For 2024, the label graces the Hofmann Cuvée RR 2022, described as a “complex cuvée with ripe berry aromas and fine roasted notes.”

I chose to feature a detail from the Laocoon Group on the label. (A special thanks to designer Hendrik Sichler, who provided invaluable support with the idea and its realization.) It is a narrow section, depicted in a deliberately coarse print. Up close, it looks like abstract, undulating curves. But holding the bottle at arm’s length clearly reveals the elegant form of a shoulder and upper arm. The effect is partly sensual, partly spiritual – perfectly fitting to the Hofmann wine.

Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer

Hofmann Naturstein Weingut Hofmann

Photo credit Laokoon-Group: Wikipedia