TOPIDEAS, IMPULSE AND INNOVATIONS FOR ARCHITECTS 23 RECONCILING DIFFERENCES The new state archives in Stade manage to reconcile the exacting requirements of archive buildings with appealing and functional design. The cubic structure uses a patterned brick façade that en- gages with the traditional urban architecture in the region and combines transparent and closed elements in a new harmony. With their design, the planners at pbr Planungsbüro Rohling from Osnabrück found an optimum combination of the space to work, the protection of the archi- val goods, and the sustainability of the site. SUBSTANCE AND TRANSPARENCY With its very clear shapes, the new home of structure. The expanse of the five windowless the state archives of Lower Saxony at Stade stories of the main archive building is broken fits perfectly into the existing urban environ- up by a rhythm of joints and metal panels. ment. The characteristic feature of the plans by the Osnabrück-based pbr Rohling is the inter- The project is unique not just for its architec- play of three linked structures with distinct func- ture: The cooperation of the State of Lower tions. The archive proper speaks of protection Saxony and the Free and Hanseatic City of and security with its monolithic, windowless Hamburg is a first for Germany’s state ar- presence, while the administrative wing has a chives. The old archive building of Stade, a more transparent feel. The visitors’ foyer uses design from the mid-1960s, had long exhaus- large windows for a light and inviting effect. ted its capacities for storing historical docu- Combining different façade styles in this way ments and land registry files, and the building creates a dynamic rhythm of open and closed did not live up to modern standards for the elements. storing of archival material. The new site now offers 50,000 metres of shelf space with The unique charcoal brick from Hagemeister’s shorter access routes and modern facilities for “Lübeck” range with its distinctive coalfire the archivists. The planners decided to use a touches give the archive building a strong passive climate concept that keeps a natural presence on the park-like site. With its tones balance in the indoor climate. This not only ranging from a dark red to a greenish yellow, saves money in the long run; it also makes for the brick is placed in random courses to cover an ecologically sustainable building. a total area of 3,200 m². The material gives the structure a substantial, protective feel, The project was handled by the state building while also reaching out to the brick architec- management office Osnabrück-Emsland, ture of the town. The architects decided to use which also acts as proprietor of the site. With brick because of its durable and sustainable their elegant concept, the pbr AG won the quality and low maintenance needs. commission against strong competition from architects from across Europe. The back-ventilated brick façade of the admi- nistrative wing is balanced by distinct window openings and an aluminium beam-and-post State Archives, Stade »The Hagemeister brick is an excellent material. Its quality and durability are the ideal choice for a project of this type.« Robert Flettschock, one of the Managing Director of construction company SUBSTANCE AND TRANSPARENCY Project Details State Archives Stade Architecture pbr Planungsbüro Rohling AG, Osnabrück Proprietor State of Lower Saxony and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg Brick „Lübeck“ Clinkered Area approx. 3,200 m2 Project Details Nieuw Crooswijk, Rotterdam Architecture Geurst & Schulze, Den Haag Project Architect Jeroen Geurst Proprietor OntwikkelCombinatie Nieuw Crooswijk (OCNC) Master Plan West8 Architects Geurst & Schulze Architecten, Brink Architecten, De Zwarte Hond, NL Architecten, Jeroen Schipper Architecten, Drost & van Veen Architecten, Paul Cox (kunstenaar), Architectenbureau Kollhoff Brick „Gent“ WF (210 x 100 x 52 mm) Clinkered Area approx. 1,500 m2 »A brick façade can give a building a unique character in so many different ways. It gives you enormous freedom in the design – in the structure, the colour, the masonry, the bonds. You can identify with the material and, by extension, with the building itself.« Jeroen Geurst, Geurst & Schulze Architecten, Den Haag Nieuw Crooswijk, Rotterdam INDIVIDUALITY WRIT LARGE Placed in a prime location between basic shapes were defined by West8, leaving With Hagemeister’s “Gent” brick, the architect The architect is renowned for his love of brick. Rotterdam’s city centre and the Crooswijk seven other studios to design the façades. The uses all of the formal potential of the material He prefers the material for its uniqueness and park, the reborn Nieuw Crooswijk quarter end product is a versatile mix of different brick to its fullest effect. The front face of the brick the sense of dimension that it gives a building. presents a versatile urban environment, fol- facades that come together as a harmonious has a sandy, dark-red colour, contrasting The architect adds movement to the design lowing the master plan of the urban planners whole. with the bronze tone and coal fire hues on its and injects life into the sculptural presence by and landscape architects at West8. The back. Jeroen Geurst decided to turn the back adding many artistic details and touches. designers believe in the power of architecture Jeroen Geurst of the Den Haag studio Geurst outward for the large expanse of the façade. and “different types of homes, high-quality & Schulze Architecten designed the facades This gives the masonry, placed in running designs, and lavish façades“ to make the for all three sites: a block of flats on the corner courses with charcoal joints, a low-key former problem area into a positive place to site, a high residential tower with flats under a presence, offset by decorative accents and live by 2021. triple gable roof, and seven terraced houses. structural elements that use the darker front He supports the approach chosen by West8: side of the brick. Masonry soffits make the The studio designed a dynamic structure “It is not what we architects are used to, but windows appear larger, and diagonal lines of masonry shapes of different dimensions, it gives us an opportunity to create something create a striking honeycomb pattern on parts forming two separate complexes. 660 resi- beautiful. The efficiency of using a common of the façade. dential units are created in a combination of plan for the buildings and standardized floor apartment buildings, residential towers, and plans also means that we can pay even more high-quality family homes. The floor plans and attention to a striking façade design.” »BRICK TEACHES DISCIPLINE.« Mr Wingender, how would you define the thinking of the making”. That is a beautiful architecture? way of putting it. I always knew: That is what Jan Peter Wingender: » In our studio, we is needed. The time of rendering and digital care about buildings you would consider nor- visualization which is so prevalent in architec- mal. Cities are created with them. By normal, ture makes this approach to our work much I mean architecture that does not force itself more important than ever before. “Thinking the into the limelight, but instead engages with the material”, that is the idea I want to pass on to urban environment around it and integrates my students.« with the fabric of the place. Oftentimes, peo- ple might call these buildings run-of-the-mill or Is the younger generation approaching even banal. But this apparent banality actually architecture and materiality in a different hides a refinement with its very own sense. way? How so? A careful study of the location and a strong Jan Peter Wingender: »We should not formal and material presence: that would be underestimate the impact of our digital lives our type of design.« on architecture. Brick is, unfortunately, often relegated to just one surface option in ren- Which models are you following in your dering. In a digital world, you can simply architecture? swap it with another type of material, with no Jan Peter Wingender: »I believe the real consequences. There is nothing worse that value of architecture and construction is to seeing a student produce a great rendering create something that can stand the test of and only decide for the actual texture at the time over decades and centuries. Our cities very last moment. At that point, we are not need buildings that work for the long term and talking about real material. It is just pixels. But that become an indispensable part of their architecture cannot be working with pixels; environment. That also means that they gain it has to be working with materials. For the more and more relevance for us, because younger generation, it is becoming more dif- we are using them and making them part of ficult than ever before to make that leap from us, like a favourite everyday item. We can digital designs to material, tangible thinking. only see how special a place is while we are But I do love the freedom that young people Jan Peter Wingender using it. You can compare this best with a today have when materials are concerned. co-founder good knife or a well-made kitchen pot: They I am inspired by the joy they feel when they Office Winhov, Amsterdam make our life easier every day, and they have explore different decorative options.« their own inherent value and a beauty all their Durable, functional buildings that match the spirit of the place – that could be the architec- ture of Jan Peter Wingender, co-founder of the Amsterdam studio Office Winhov, in a nutshell. In our interview, the architect, university lecturer, and author speaks about “thinking the material”, current changes and trends in the Dutch architectural scene, and Photos: © Stefan Josef Mueller about his special relationship with brick.