ARCHIVE

Article from issue 10/2002 »Refurbishment«

Deutsche Welle Broadcasting Building in Bonn

report p. 1228
Architect Joachim Schürmann & Partner |

With the decision to move the German Bundestag to Berlin, the present building in Bonn lost its prospective occupants and function. The design for the parliamentary buildings in Bonn was the outcome of a competition held in 1983, which Joachim Schürmann won. Construction work began seven years later. InDecember 1993, the carcass structure suffered serious damage as a result of flooding, and the “Schürmann building” became a political issue. Extensive refurbishment was necessary to save it, and the continuation of the work was in doubt. A year later, however, new occupants were found, and at the beginning of 2003, the Deutsche Welle broadcasting station will move in from its old premises in Cologne.
The development comprises three horizontal linked strips and is situated immediately next to the “Langer Eugen”, the high-rise block formerly used by members of the Bundestag and today a seat of the UN. The new structures are set parallel to an access road and adopt the height of the villas on the opposite bank of the Rhine. The heart of the complex is formed by a glazed hall, containing seven broadcasting studios, nine production offices and a number of small recording studios. For soundproofing reasons, these spaces are completely separated from the rest of the structure by a second, inner shell and are notnaturally ventilated. The development will also house the Deutsche Welle’s training and further education centre.