An artistic insertion.
"The art of inserting a new component into the cityscape alongside its extremely multifarious neighbouring buildings has been celebrated with virtuosity as a work of architectural sculpture down to the last detail. An open and inviting plinth zone enlivens the public area, and two upper storey zones structured with vertical ceramic lamella cleverly binds it in with the neighbouring brick-faced Broschekhaus."
This is how the jury for the 2016 BDA Prize formulated their decision to award the building their first prize. What one cannot see from the outside of this clever building are various structural engineering refinements:
To provide for a pillar-free projection on the ground floor, two outriggers were hung up on tension members diagonally to the next support axis over five storeys. A flat slab construction with wide effective spans makes it possible to create loft-like office-zones in the upper storeys with flexible building services.
The two basement storeys of the new building were fitted into the existing outer basement walls of the previous building. By clever planning of the sequence of demolition of the existing structure, the shoring of the building pit could be designed in an extremely economical way. The existing basement walls were employed as shoring walls and temporarily braced inwards.
Given the very difficult construction sequence, the new shallow foundation with a thickness of 70 cm was produced in sections on the existing sole in very restricted conditions.
© HGEsch, Hennef, BIN / HGEsch, Hennef, BIN, BIN, BIN, BIN
