Page 71 - AIT0425_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Holger Schalk, Stuttgart
„Durch das Farb- und Materialspektrum
im Kontrast zum Bestand wird das Alte
bewahrt und bewusst ein Bruch zum
Neuen hergestellt.“
Holger Schalk
Grundriss • Floor plan
Bauherr • Client Leik GmbH, Rottweil
Standort • Location Neckartal 200, Rottweil
Nutzfläche • Floor space 204 m 2
Fotos • Photos Max Feldhoff, Stuttgart
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 142
LEIK OFFICE
IN ROTTWEIL
At its new location in the Neckar Valley, office outfitter
Leik has discovers the charm of change: an old gunpow-
der factory, whose walls continue to have an effect in the
new design, serves as the framework for the office. It tells
of the importance of black-powder production in two
world wars, of the vacancy after the site was abandoned
in the 1990s, and of its rescue from decay.
T he gunpowder factory in Rottweil looks back on a long history.
Black powder was already being produced here in the 15th century.
The narrow valley outside of the town was the ideal place for this –
it shielded from curious visitors while still offering plenty of space for
the necessary depots and production facilities. The water of the Neckar
was well suited for driving the powder mills and for washing the gun
cotton. At one time, 250 buildings were part of the site in the Neckar
Valley. Today, 120 still exist, of which 45 are listed and another 20 are
considered worthy of preservation. The foundation for the preservation
of historical monuments is justifiably very interested in this fascinating
industrial complex: it was developed over a long period of time, desi-
gned in correspondingly different architectural styles, by architects and
engineers with some well-known names such as Paul Bonatz, Heinrich
Henes and Emil Mörsch. Since 1993, the area has been gradually repur-
posed. More than 60 small- to medium-sized companies have settled
in the section of the valley. The so-called “greenhouse”, a five-storey
warehouse building from the 19th century, is now home to the newly
occupied office space of the Leik company, among others. The revitali-
zation saves a building that had been empty for decades from falling
into disrepair. The fact that it was once a symbol of progress is to remain
visible. The task of Stuttgart architect Holger Schalk was to transform
around 200 square metres on the first floor into a flexibly usable wor-
king landscape without interfering too much with the existing structure.
He had the thermal building envelope upgraded and installed floor hea-
ting under the new floor covering. Only a few new partition walls were
added. Instead, curtains at various heights and in different acoustic qua-
lities divide the open space into zones suitable for information exchange
and concentrated work. Wherever possible, curtains and fixtures were
not connected to the existing structure; everything new is designed to
maintain a distance from the walls and ceiling. Thus, the transitions
between the historic walls and the new colours, shapes and materials
are rather abrupt – which makes both elements all the more effective.
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