Description:
The game-keeper's house formerly belonged to the "Rode Poort" (Red Gate) estate, a few kilometers from the town center of Saint Michel. It was originally built as a frontier house and guard post and was later converted into a game-keeper's house and fell into ruins during the last decades. The complex was completely restored with great perseverance. The building, a rectangular block of two stories with an octagonal tower, had to be reinforced immediately. The masonry was in such bad condition that partly demolition was inevitable. All bricks were cleaned stone by stone. They were re-used and supplemented with identical material from other sources. The major part of the stair tower and the north façade were conserved. In the east façade a new outer door was constructed and all windows were replaced by new sash windows after an 18th century design. A preliminary study of existing documents preceded the refurbishment of the interior, whilst the spirit of the building with its handmade oak beams and roofing was carefully preserved.