Hohenkammer Castle Conference ­Centre

Hohenkammer Castle is one of the few remaining Renaissance moated buildings in ­Bavaria. Refurbishment work carried out in the 1970s had unfortunately destroyed much of the historical substance. The timber-beam floors, for example, had been largely replaced with aerated concrete elements on steel beams. Since it was not possible to reverse these measures and to reinstate the original form, the architects sought to align the various time planes and create a unified whole. Historical elements that had survived were carefully preserved. In installing modern conference and seminar facilities, many of the earlier changes were reversed or reformu- lated, and new measures were implemented as inconspicuously as possible. Light fittings were specially designed as variations on a basic theme: as wall lamps; as suspended units hanging singly or in groups; and in the form of staircase mobiles that link the various floors. Traditional materials like plaster, solid timber and stone help to bridge the gap between old and new. Internal walls are decorated with abstract paintings in the tradition of Renaissance murals. Floral patterns by Martin Schwenk can be found as recurring motifs; and in the old chapel, a graphic work by Lawrence Weiner was realized. The reorganization of the spaces within the historical structure – in particular the two-storey hall and the grand staircase – lend the building an ampler dimension.