The Hameln-Pyrmont district building consists of several single buildings along the street. The design of the complex is based on the existing structure of the city. A detailed ensemble was created which, on the one hand, reacts to the street space in an appropriate small scale and, on the other hand, opens up generously to the park behind the building. The corner of the building is accentuated by the curved façade of the meeting rooms, which dynamically follow the street. The parts of the building facing the park jut out into the green and are oriented towards the organically shaped artificial lake. The lake is the central element of the landscape concept, at the same time functioning as a collecting tank for rain water.
The five four-storey buildings are reached through the central entrance hall, which is accessible from the street as well as from the park. The areas with the highest amount of visitors were arranged on the lower levels where they can easily be reached from the foyer. Open steel stairs lead from the entrance area directly to the meeting rooms.The transparency of the façade creates bright rooms flooded with light, opening up to the outside. Therefore, administration does not stay an anonymous process but becomes visible for the citizens.
Important components of the climatic and energy concept are the individually controllable natural ventilation and the good orientation of the building, which ensure an optimised use of solar energy and a high amount of daylight all the year round. This has a positive effect not only on the energy balance, it is also an essential psychological aspect for the well-being inside the building. In summer the office spaces are cooled down by thermo-active ceilings. The energy is led away by pipes in the concrete; the cold water flowing through the pipes is cooled down with ground water. At night the windows can be opened for ventilation, they are protected against the rain by a second layer of glass elements.
| Hameln-Pyrmont District Building Hameln (D) building costs approx. 24 million EUR start of construction 2003 completion 2005 floor area 14,350 sqm
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