The Kunsthofpassage consists of a complex of five smaller courtyards. Each courtyard has its own design theme and name, combining art and architecture.
Courtyard of the Elements
The Courtyard of the Elements consists of a blue facade with downpipes (element of water) and a yellow facade with aluminum sheets (element of light) on the west side of the courtyard. The Courtyard of the Elements is the creative work of three artists. Annette Paul, Christoph Roßner, and André Tempel were inspired by the bizarre architecture of the downpipes in St. Petersburg. These are much larger in diameter than in Germany and run openly in wild twists and turns across the facade. Like a rain theater, water pours through the gutters and is collected in a pool. This spectacle for the eyes and ears attracts visitors to the Kunsthof even when it rains. Mounted opposite, on the sunny yellow wall, golden aluminum sheets adorn the wall as if blown across. They reflect, mirror, and multiply the incoming light.
Courtyard of Animals
The facade of the "Courtyard of Animals" is painted green and decorated with animal reliefs. The Courtyard of Animals is home to giraffes, monkeys, and a crane. Across the entire wall of the building, a herd of monkeys leaps from window to window above the head of a giant giraffe. The balconies are made of wickerwork. Several small animals have hidden around the fountain.
Courtyard of Mythical Creatures
The artist Viola Schöpe designed the walls of the "Courtyard of Mythical Creatures" in a combination of sgraffito and mosaic depicting mythical creatures. The southern facade symbolically depicts the flow of life. It represents the shared existence of life and the intention to enliven things with a good vibration. The northern facade leads to the astral realm of higher energies, cosmic elements, stars, comets, and love as the all-pervading element that holds the universe together. Viola Schöpe, the artist of the courtyard, wants her works of art to speak for themselves and transform the viewer. Her figures usually have a dual story: a mythological one and a material one. Schöpe designed 900 square meters of wall space with various ornamental tiles. Many ornamental tiles come from Portuguese manufacturers, while the red and blue tiles come from Italy, and the gold tiles from Meissen.
Excerpt: Wikipedia