Location: Kassel
Competition: 3. Prize 08 | 2017
Town hall Kassel – a new façade
After the political decision to keep the building wing K of the town hall in Kassel, the building had to be converted within an architectural and urban intervention to create a new design for the dynamics of the existing building.
The K-wing is understood as the constructional opposite of the old town hall with its historical stone façade. It forms the spatial seal of the inner courtyard towards the street “Obere Karlsstrasse” and clearly defines the overall ensemble of the town hall complex. Therefore, the building had to be perceivable as a whole from various urban directions.
The conversion of the façade follows the functional logic of window hinges and balustrades, and therefore emphasizes the horizontal image. Open and closed façade surfaces are clearly structured and make the functional and dynamic position of the structure clearly perceivable.
Traditional natural stone connects old and new and is a sustainable material. The classic design principles fulfill the modern, functional and dynamic requests of the volume, corresponding to the self-conception of the city Kassel.
The building is planned according to all aspects of energy sufficiency and optimization. It aims at protecting from the sun and heat in summer and cold in winter, focusing on the comfort of the employees.