Church Community Centre in Geilenkirchen

Situated opposite the church, the new structure closes the gap between the town hall and a former shelter for the homeless, which was incorporated into the planning. A dialogue between old and new was achieved by adopting the form and rhythm of the windows and the materials found in the existing fabric, but set here within a steel framework that makes the internal structure of the new building legible. The brick panels in stretcher bond are contrasted with the solid brickwork of the older building and indicate the difference between the load-bearing inner skin and the outer skin supported by the steel framework. A continuous roof light and a sunken courtyard mark the break between town hall and community centre.