By making subtle changes to the substance of the former railway water tower, it is possible to create a cultural venue that combines contemporary creative working worlds with the authentic charm of a railway building. Over in the east wing, the offices of the AAg architects are located on three floors, while the west wing is home to the office and rehearsal rooms of KlangForum, the Heidelberg association for contemporary music. These are also available as seminar and event rooms under the TANKTURM brand.
(PHOTO: THOMAS OTT)
The task
The central, 30-metre-high, square tower building and the two-storey extensions to the east and west were entirely reglazed by a joiner, which was no mean feat considering the grand total of 996 mullioned windows. The window handles that were no longer usable had to be replaced.<br/> To allow the public to access this extraordinary building, the architects have developed a concept for using the rooms that are not required by their team.
Tankturm
Location:
Heidelberg, Germany
Building type:
Office
Architect:
AAg LoebnerSchäferWeber, Heidelberg
Implementation:
2015
Impressions
Our solution
For many windows, it was possible to reuse the old fittings with the addition of new T-shaped Randi 1775 window handles. With regard to thermal insulation, new, larger windows with a facing shell were installed flush in front of the old mullioned windows. The minimalist curved Randi-Line 1703 window handle was the top choice in terms of function and pared-back design. In a bid to return to architectural simplicity in the new doors without special security requirements, small Randi-Line 1028 lever handles were used. The whole concept of reduction is visible here through the combination of the Randi-Line 1202 long plate without key cut-out.
