Table Of Contentin ∂
Building in Existing Fabric
Refurbishment
Extensions
New Design
Christian Schittich (Ed.)
Edition Detail
in ∂ Building in Existing Fabric
in ∂
Building in Existing Fabric
Refurbishment · Extensions · New Design
Christian Schittich (Ed.)
Edition Detail – Institut für internationale
Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG
München
Birkhäuser – Publishers for Architecture
Basel · Boston · Berlin
Editor: Christian Schittich
Co-Editor: Thomas Madlener, Andrea Wiegelmann
Editorial Services: Christine Fritzenwallner, Julia Liese
Translation German/English: Elizabeth Schwaiger (pp. 8–37), DETAIL (pp. 38–176)
Drawings: Norbert Graeser, Marion Griese, Olli Klein, Nicola Kollmann,
Emese Köszegi, Elli Krammer, Sabine Nowak, Andrea Saiko, Claudia Toepsch
DTP: Peter Gensmantel, Andrea Linke, Cornelia Kohn, Roswitha Siegler
This book is a cooperation between
DETAIL – Review of Architecture and
Birkhäuser – Publishers for Architecture
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Contents
Creative Conversions Parasite in Rotterdam
Christian Schittich 8 Korteknie & Stuhlmacher, Rotterdam 98
Conversions – the new normal Restaurant in Oporto
Johann Jessen and Jochem Schneider 10 Guilherme Páris Couto, Oporto 102
There’s nothing green about Panel Construction Housing in Dresden
building in the countryside Knerer and Lang, Dresden 106
Günther Moewes 22
Housing Development in Chur
Preservation of Buildings from the Modern Era Dieter Jüngling and Andreas Hagmann, Chur 110
Berthold Burkhardt 28
Insurance Building in Munich
Baumschlager & Eberle, Vaduz 114
Urban Renewal in Salemi Alf Lechner Museum in Ingolstadt
Álvaro Siza Vieira, Oporto, Fischer Architects, Munich 124
Roberto Collovà, Palermo 38
MoMA QNS in New York
Cultural Centre in Toledo Michael Maltzan architecture, Los Angeles
Ignacio Mendaro Corsini, Madrid 42 Cooper, Robertson & Partners, New York 130
Museum in Colmenar Viejo Tate Modern in London
Aranguren Gallegos, Madrid 50 Herzog & de Meuron, Basle 136
Shop Entrance in New York Cultural and Business Centre in Turin
Future Systems, London 54 Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa 144
Visitors’ Centre in Criewen Documentation Centre in the Reichs Party
Anderhalten Architects, Berlin 58 Congress Complex in Nuremberg
Günther Domenig, Graz 156
Yellow House in Flims
Valerio Olgiati, Zurich 64 British Museum Courtyard in London
Foster and Partners, London 164
House and Studio Building in Sent
Rolf Furrer, Basle; Christof Rösch, Sent 68
Church Community Centre in S chwindkirchen
arc Architects, Munich 72
Loft Conversion in Berlin
Rudolf + Sohn, Munich 76
House Extension in Montrouge
Fabienne Couvert & Guillaume Terver, Paris
IN SITU montréal, Montreal 80
House Extension in Munich
Lydia Haack + John Höpfner, Munich 84
House on Lake Starnberg
Fink + Jocher, Munich 88
Architects 172
House Extension in Remscheid
Authors 175
Gerhard Kalhöfer,
Stefan Korschildgen, Cologne 94 Illustration credits 176
Creative Conversions
Christian Schittich
Working with existing buildings has long ceased to be only a roof –, while much of the interior is characterized by an
question of preserving the city image and historic monu- almost seamless merging between old and new, with the
ments; it has become an economic and ecological impera- minimized details of the completion fitting naturally into the
tive. In a time, when resource and pollution issues are existing structure. Günther Domenig, on the other hand,
intensifying coupled with decreasing population numbers in has – metaphorically speaking – pierced the flesh of Nurem-
the industrialized nations, working with the existing built envi- berg’s massive old Reichsparteitag building (see page
ronment, repairing and restoring it for continued use has 156ff), achieving the feat of finding a practical use in the new
become the order of the day, instead of destroying more documentation center for the cumbersome building, an
green space and exploiting more resources. Conversions important historic structure that should be preserved despite
and upgrades – which, today, account for nearly 40 per cent its negative historical legacy, without glossing over its past.
of construction in Central Europe – will continue to gain in While the form and appearance of the old structure have
importance in the near future, accounting for a steadily been largely preserved in the aforementioned examples, the
increasing percentage of the total building volume. renovation of housing schemes, especially the sterile panel
construction in the former East, is focused not only on
Thus building in the built environment not only means work- improving the quality of the living environment but also the
ing with historically valuable structures, but increasingly also aesthetic image, for example in the case of the balcony addi-
with ordinary buildings – industrial structures or mass hous- tions by Knerer and Lang in Dresden (see page 106ff). And
ing schemes from the postwar era. The spectrum of tasks is finally, Baumschlager and Eberle have stripped the insur-
correspondingly varied: it ranges from simple repair to func- ance building of the Münchener Rück down to the bare load-
tional and aesthetic optimization or ecological upgrades, bearing structure, creating a modern building, which no
from restoration true to the original to creative conversion. In longer reveals any traces of its predecessor on the inside or
each case, the architect’s approach is largely dependent on on the outside.
the old building itself.
For a long time, Carlo Scarpa’s refurbishment of the medieval Architects have looked upon conversion and renovation as a
Castelvecchio in Verona (1956 –1964) was considered the necessary evil for a long time, preferring to make their repu-
benchmark for all creative conversions. The principles, which tations with spectacular new buildings. This was especially
Scarpa developed for the project – distinct separation of true during the classic modern era, when little value was
confident interventions and existing fabric through contrast- attached to old buildings and the avant-garde focused all its
ing materials – have lost none of their validity to this day and energies on innovation. Things have changed, however. The
continue to be applied far and wide in the treatment of his- examples mentioned above and the projects presented in
toric monuments. Alvaro Siza’s urban renewal in the Sicilian this book reveal the broad spectrum of tasks, possibilities
Saleme (see page 38ff) or the conversion of a church into a and attitudes in working with existing buildings and demon-
cultural center in Toledo by Ignacio Mendaro Corsini (see strate that the theme is anything but dull. On the contrary:
page 42ff) are examples that follow in the footsteps of working with the given fabric, which imposes necessary
Scarpa’s tradition, albeit with fewer mannerist details. constraints on the designer, is one of the most creative and
What is more frequent, however, is a design philosophy fascinating tasks in architecture.
where the boundary between old fabric and new completion
is becoming increasingly blurred, where architects interpret
the old building in a new way and develop it further. This is
the case with the two spectacular conversion initiatives for
monumental historic industrial sites – the former Bankside
Power Station in London into the Tate Modern (see page
136ff) and the former Fiat factory in Turin (see page 144ff).
Renzo Piano’s approach to working with the impressive
Lingotto factory can almost be described as pragmatic:
seen from the outside, he has left the old building nearly
untouched – with the exception of the two accents on the
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