KUNSTHALLE MANNHEIM BY GMP ARCHITEKTEN

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have been awarded the contract to design the new Kunsthalle Mannheim. After three architect’s practices were awarded first place in a closed, anonymous competition back in July 2012, these practices were asked to revise their designs.

The practices were gmp, Staab Architects and Peter Pütz Architects. Irrespective of the negotiation procedure, an exhibition started in October at which the public were able to familiarize themselves with the three winning entries. The Kunsthalle design created by gmp portrays a symbolic identity, both on the outside and on the inside: the idea was to create a place that is easily remembered, and which appeals with its functional and urban quality.

Analogous to the chess board type layout of Mannheim’s inner city, the design is a composition of several cubes, the regularity of which is however broken by an offset arrangement in terms of height and width, and also by the arrangement of squares within the development. Visitors experience different sized rooms full of excitement and with a range of different air spaces. This creates a range of vistas inside and outside of the building.

With the concept of a louvred facade, the design clearly distinguishes itself from neighboring buildings in terms of its color scheme and materials. The intention was to choose a warm metal color which on the one hand does not replicate the red of the regional sandstone but, on the other hand, does not appear cold in spite of its timeless feel. The plain architecture, with its translucent facade envelope, radiates a strong presence.

The design, which was revised as part of the negotiation process, features a significantly reduced volume on the basement floor. To achieve this, the designers moved the delivery zone to the ground floor, which made it possible
to omit the ramp and other extensive circulation areas.

Furthermore, the detailed design of the technical building services revealed that less space was required, resulting in the second sub-floor no longer being necessary. Some of the services have been integrated in and on the roof areas, thus reducing the length of pipelines and ducting. In addition, the architects were able to incorporate improvements in many other areas of the new Kunsthalle Mannheim. In summary, all these measures mean that it will be possible to keep within the budget for the building.

 

Location: Mannheim, Germania

Architect: GMPARCHITEKTEN, Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze with Volkmar Sievers

Project Manager: Di Miao

Design Team Ulrich Rösler, Mira Schmidt, Steffen Lepiorz, Liselotte Knall, Kai Siebke, Frederik Heisel

Lighting design: Conceptlicht Helmut Angerer

International competition: 2012 - 1st prize

Photo: Heiner Leiska

TECHNOLOGY CENTER BY GMP ARCHITEKTEN

Il progetto di riconversione dell’ex Manifattura Tabacchi, progettata da Pier Luigi Nervi tra il 1949 ed il 1954, nasce sulle linee guida progettuali identificate dalla Finanziaria Bologna Metropolitana d’intesa con il Comune di Bologna e la Regione, proprietaria della struttura dopo versa acquistata per 19 milioni di euro dalla British American Tabacco.

L’obiettivo è la realizzazione un hub di alta tecnologia, a nord di Bologna tra la Tangenziale e la Fiera, che ospiterà 12 laboratori attivi su diverse piattaforme tecnologiche: meccanica materiali, costruzioni, scienze della vita, energia-ambiente, ICT e design in collaborazione con l’Università di Bologna, l’ENEA, l’Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, L’Arpa e La Protezione Civile oltre a Aster, che coordina la rete dei tecnopoli, e Lepida per la rete telematica a banda larga, che promuove anche il Laboratorio regionale per informatica e servizi innovativi digitali nella Pubblica amministrazione.

Lo studio amburghese di gmp Architekten, già progettisti della Fiera e del Palacongressi di Rimini, vince il concorso che ha visto la partecipazione di prestigiosi studi internazionali come OMA, Oriol Bohigas, Fuksas, Wilkinson Eyre, Antonio Citterio, Boris Podrecca, 5+1 Agenzia, Kengo Kuma e David Chipperfield, che non ha presentato il progetto, selezionati su oltre 100 candidati.

L’idea progettuale di gmp Architekten è incentrata sulla realizzazione di un parco tecnologico con un intervento di redesign delle strutture esistenti, con un adeguamento antisimico e per il risparmio energetico, per ospitare una sala espositiva, sala conferenze, uffici, servizi e un centro per la ricercaaffiliato con l'università con strutture didattiche.

Uno schema che preserva la grande piazza centrale, sede della ex centrale termica che è vincolata essendo monumento nazionale, nella quale saranno collocate le funzioni rappresentative disponendo i laboratori a corona, serviti da quattro viali di accesso, integrando l’esistente con nuovi edifici che completeranno la maglia edilizia esistente, con una attenzione al verde ed ai colori che esalterà la ciminiera in mattoni.

“Siamo partiti dal presupposto di non voler aggiungere altri strati, linguaggi o pelli agli edifici esistenti ma valorizzarli e renderli adeguati. Volkwin Marg è una grande ammiratore di Nervi, d’altronde già il progetto della Fiera di Rimini s’ispira proprio al suo sistema di copertura a botti usato alla Manifattura, declinato in una struttura lignea.” ha dichiarato Clemens Kusch, che con studio a Venezia è il local architect di Gmp.

Il progetto del tecnopolo costerà 100 mil. di euro di cui 27 disponibili dalla Regione gli altri spettanti agli altri enti coinvolti e questo è stato anche un motivo di scelta del progetto di gmp per la sua flessibilità che si presta alla realizzazioni per lotto, cosa che ci auguriamo avvenga in tempi prestabiliti.

Location: Bologna, Italy

Architect: gmp Architekten

Team members Stephanie Joebsch, Alessia Spezzano, Alexander Kittel, Bernd

Kottsieper, Claudia Schultze, Andre Wegmann, Peter Radomski

Design Volkwin Marg with Robert Friedrichs

Contact architect cfk_architetti, Venice, Clemens F. Kusch

Total floor area for various uses 110,000 sqm

ClientSocietà Finanziaria Bologna Metropolitana SpA

CHANGZHOU CULTURE CENTER BY GMP ARCHITEKTEN

"The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have been awarded first prize according to the jury in an international competition to build the Culture Center in the newly created Changzhou city center - competing with KSP – Jürgen Engel Architects, Arata Isozaki and other leading practices.

With a total floor area of 365,000 square meters, the new building complex includes a number of museums such as an arts museum, a science and technology museum and a library, together with service facilities supporting the center for culture in the Xinbei district of the city of three million, between Wuxi and Nanjing. The design reflects elements of Changzhou’s southern Chinese culture and the city’s prominent water features.

The building modules – which cantilever bridge-like in a large arc - consist of six 45 meter-high pavilions which vary significantly inside with their different architectural functions, but form a visual whole from the outside. The space between the art gallery to the east and the science and technology museum to the west forms the public plaza in the center of Changzhou. With its water features and generous landscaping, it provides an inviting ambiance and serves as a meeting point in the district.

On the 256,000 square meter basement floor are an underground car park as well as numerous shop and retail areas which are lit by lightwells and which are directly connected with the cultural facilities. A water course on the higher level running diagonally through the 17 hectare site links all the modules together and acts as a source of lighting for the restaurants in the basement.

With its material and colour, the façade picks up on the regional building tradition: staggered grey slate creates a solid external impression which is contrasted by the bright surfaces with white elements and transparent glass

façades on the inside of the buildings. The Culture Center will play an important role in shaping the new city center and its development, and it reflects Changzhou’s tradition carried over into the modern metropolis. The large roof spreads across the six culture pavilions and is used to define the public space for Changzhou’s citizens." Text of gmp.

 

 

 

Location: Changzhou, China

Architects: gmp Architekten

Chinese Partner: Wei Wu

Competition Team: Martin Friedrich, Sebastian Schmidt, Kong Bu Hong, Jiang Lan Lan, Yao Yao, Zhang Zhen, Gao Shu San, Dominika Gnatowicz, Sa Xiaodong

Structural Design: schlaich bergermann and partners

Landscape Design: WES & Partners

Client: Changzhou Jinling Investment and Construction Co., Ltd

Gross Floor Area: 365,000 m²

GFA Library: 32,800 m²

GFA Art Gallery: 20,600 m²

GFA Science and Technology Museum: 18,300 m²

GFA Service Facilities: 37,300 m²

GFA Basement Floors: 256,000 m²

Competition: 2012 – 1st prize

text / imagines: Courtesy of gmp Architekten