Hubertuskrone

In pursuit of a sustainable building practice and appreciation of historic architectural value this project formulates a strategy for reusing existing urban buildings. A vacant city bath in Berlin was chosen and understood as the partner of the design process with whom a dialogue was established and the question posed; what would the building like to be?

The strategy is simple. First, get to know your partner, the building, on every level; Ask about its history, why it was built and why it’s been closed for 30 years? Ask about its style, its typology and where its cousins live? Ask about its district, its boundaries and why, with other pools so far away, it’s still empty? Ask about its locality, the other vacant buildings and why so many medical practices? Ask about its block, what the neighbours say, its different faces and its way of life through the days and seasons? Ask about its bones, its circulation and how much weight it could carry before its feet start to sink and its skin starts to crack? Ask about its proportions, its colours and the lobotomy of inside from out? Ask it about its programme, its spaces, if it still needs all those showers and why it speaks many languages?\nLast, and most importantly, ask the building; what would it like to be?\nNext, distil its answers into a series of impressions; conclusions of your analysis. \nWith these, and the right type of ears, you can then hear your partner answer the questions of the design process. Allow yourself to be surprised by how the building replies:\nIt wants new connectivity and public green space. It wants respect not gross demolition; just enough for a rational extension of its form; there’s too much embodied energy in its limbs to tear them down. It wants a continuation of its functions; a dynamic tetris of sport, wellness, living, visiting; arranged according to its varying frontages. It wants an addition to its roof; different yet similar; drawn out from within, and changing qualities for day and night. It wants a new interpretation of its spaces; some like cathedrals, others like caves, some with feminine curves and others with masculine edges. It wants its faces to vary at each orientation; some climatically rational, others independent of the world behind. It wants to see itself in its details, to amplify its character, to play with the contrast of massive and filigree, old and new.\nLast, and most importantly, it wants to wake up and share new stories with the world; about its history, its place, and its architecture.