The Building
The idea for what was to become the Teehaus on the top of the Kehlstein mountain was formulated by Reichsleiter Martin Bormann in 1937, the intention being to have the structure built in time for Hitler's fiftieth birthday in April 1939. Bormann was to consult with the man who was responsible for the planning of all the buildings on the Obersalzberg, Würzburg-born architect Professor Roderich Fick, who on June 8th 1937 submitted the initial plans.
Fick, who had studied in Zürich under the renowned architect and city planner Theodor Fischer, had been previously involved in a number of projects for members of the Nazi leadership; these projects included the building of both Bormann's own villa in Berchtesgaden and Hitler's first and original Teehaus on the nearby Mooslahnerkopf. However, none of these previous projects were to be as spectacular and as technically testing as the Teehaus on the Kehlstein mountain.
Fick's structure was essentially a massive granite square with the largest room, the main reception hall, being octagonal in shape with a large panoramic window. This and other specially-placed windows would provide both the Führer and his visitors with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains as well as both the Scharitzkehl Valley and the Königssee lake.