Adolf Grimme Institut Marl

The Adolf-Grimme-Institut project was about the conversion and repair of a listed building. The building, finished in 1955, is an example of post-war German modern architecture of the 1950s and, at the same time, the first adult education building in Germany.
Over time, the building had lost a lot of its architectural qualities. The view from the day room into the adjacent park and its openness had been obstructed, the large room of the former library had been partitioned to come up with quite a number of office units. The former reading room with its gallery had been reduced to a warehouse, given its disastrous climatic conditions.
The renovation was to liven up the building’s architectural and spatial qualities.
The result is a house that, once again, is characterised by its transparency. The reading room can be viewed from the outside. In future, it can also be used for small events. From the foyer, you have an equally unobstructed view of the adjacent park and some other views as well.
The offices in the former library do now take the shape of built-in office cubes with glass ceilings to accommodate the requested demarcation. The large hall was turned into a wood-panelled “casket”.
The energetic problems of the building were analysed on a room-by-room basis: The filigree, repaired steel-glass facades got a visibly attached insulation.

Awards:
Auszeichnung guter Bauten 2006 (BDA Vest Recklinghausen Gelsenkirchen), Anerkennung
Westfälisch-Lippischer Preis für Denkmalpflege 2009 (Land NRW und Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe), Auszeichnung

Author: Prof. Spital-Frenking + Schwarz / Editorial baukunst-nrw
Last changed on 01.07.2022

Categories:
Architecture » Public Buildings » Administrative/Town Halls