Page 46 - AIT0318_E-Paper

SERIEN STUDENTENARBEIT • STUDENT WORK

gebung das Temperatur empfinden, und so wird nicht nur von warmem zu kaltem
Wasser, sondern auch von warmen zu kalten Farbtönen gebadet. „Steinzeugfliesen wer-
den im Innen- wie im Außenbereich typischerweise als Bodenbelag, aber auch an der
Wand eingesetzt. Spezielle Vorzüge sind ihre hohe Maßgenauigkeit, die schmale Fugen
ermöglicht, ihre mechanischen Festigkeiten sowie ein breites Angebot an Farben, Designs
und Oberflächen. Das Material wird sowohl in glasierter als auch in unglasierter Form
angeboten; durchgefärbtes Steinzeug ist ebenfalls erhältlich und besonders strapazierfä-
hig.“ (baunetzwissen) Die übrigen zum Luftraum zählenden Flächen und die
Treppenräume werden mit einem Kalk-Marmorputz versehen, der dank einer speziellen
Ober flächenbehandlung schmutz- und wasserabweisend ist. Die verputzten Wände sind
zudem diffusionsoffen, sodass Feuchtigkeit aufgenommen und wieder abgegeben wird
und dadurch stets ein angenehmes Klima herrscht.

D üsseldorf is one of the most populous and most important cities in North Rhine-
Westphalia. All along, the location on the Rhine has contributed considerably to its
development into a commercial city. Due to the increasing population and the popularity,
the needs of the residents in the inner-city space are also growing. The wish for recreatio-
nal activities and relaxation opportunities is steadily getting stronger. “Six hours of work
suffice, the subsequent hours of a day clearly call out ‘Live!’ to the mortals.” The current
Die kalten Badebereiche sind mit blauen Kacheln versehen. • The cold bathing zones are equipped with blue tiles. social change poses a variety of challenges which the bathing facilities also have to face.
Particularly relevant in this is the changing demography with a low birth rate and an aging
population. In major cities such as Düsseldorf, besides the increasing individualization
there is also a disintegration of social structures. In addition, there is a change in the world
of work with ever more flexibilities which has an influence on the need for relaxation. In
ancient Rome, for instance, after a six-hour working day one went to the bath. However,
this did not mean the end of work – decisive agreements were reached there and then. A
completely different atmosphere from the workplace reigned in baths: relaxing, beneficent,
pleasant. In harmony with the body and nature. “Architecture as the built environment is
the material carrier for the immaterial offer of wellness.” The site in the Düsseldorf
Medienhafen at Hafenbecken B is surrounded by office- and hotel buildings. With the
involvement of well-known architectural offices, the Medienhafen has been turning into a
location for enterprises from radio, television and fashion since the 1990s. Due to ever new
uses, the existing structure of public landscape zones as well as historic and modern buil-
dings is being further developed and the character of the place is thus strengthened. With
an urban concept for Kesselstrasse and the vertically constructed bathhouse, the
Medienhafen is again to be expanded and enlivened.

Bathing like the romans – right the city

In order to assert itself among the surrounding high-rise buildings and to preserve the visu-
al axes, the bathhouse is planned as a 36 metres high, vertical structure. The entrance is
on the lower level which is accessed on a long ramp. Starting out from a large square, the
visitor is first guided six metres into the ground to enter the building with outer edges of
22 by 26 metres. The whole construction is based on a grid measuring one by one metres.
Due to the grid façade, the building looks like a monolith from the outside. Cubes lying in
the grid are arranged around the central basin on the ground floor and the open space
above it. Due to the horizontal and vertical sequence of differently sized cubes, zones with
various qualities are created. Rooms open to the centrally located open space or become
rooms for privacy. In addition, different ceiling heights are produced by the vertical arran-
gement. The sequence of the rooms follows the principle of the Roman bath: The visitor
takes a bath from hot to cold, from inside to outside. After the entrance is passed, the bat-
her proceeds to the changing room, the apodytorium, which is supplied with daylight
through narrow skylights. Besides private cubicles, an open changing room is planned
which acts as a kind of filter. Here the guests get undressed and wash themselves before
ascending stairs to the light-flooded bathing level where they first reach the caldarium, the
central bath. It is illuminated by a skylight at a height of approximately 30 metres.
Additional basins are positioned spreading out from the central bath. On the ground floor
are the dark bath, a reclining bath, a stone bath and a steam bath which are to be used
one after the other. Further stairs lead up to the tepidarium with a hot-water bath in a hot-
air room, a Jacuzzi and resting areas. After the zones with hot water follows the frigidarium
with cold-water basins for cooling down and the stairs up to the outdoor basins on the
roof with a view of the city. In the enclosed rooms, square ceramic tiles on the walls, cei-
Schnitt • Section lings and floors show a colour gradation from red to orange all the way to shades of blue.

046 • AIT 3.2018