Community Centre

This new protestant community centre forms a new heart in a cheerless expanse of urban sprawl. The single-storey, flat-roofed building was a winning entry for an open design competition in which 440 other entries competed. Surprisingly the architects have been able to built almost the same design as that with which they won the competition. In Germany, where decision-making is mostly done with a very large group, including the pastor, representatives of the congregation and members of the town council, this is a small miracle. Especially since the outer facade of the building offers a pretty unusual sight. The U-shaped building encloses a semi-public garden courtyard, which is surrounded by the meeting hall, rooms and youth centre. The eye-catching, load-bearing outer shell consists of two basic modules: prefabricated unclad concrete components that could be installed either way up, and an all-round glass façade.