wulf architekten : Canteen and media centre, Darmstadt - best architects 23

wulf architekten

Canteen and media centre, Darmstadt

best architects 23

education buildings

Place

Darmstadt, Germany

Photos

Brigida González

Description

The new building for the canteen and media centre is designed as a freestanding two-storey volume with a square footprint. Located in the immediate vicinity of the newly restructured Vocational School Centre North, it defines the entrance onto the campus. With its load-bearing structure of timber, folded glass façades, and cladding of perforated black corrugated metal, the canteen has an open and elegant appearance. A cafeteria and the media centre as well as seminar and office rooms for the adult education centre are located on the ground floor. A sculpturally curved stair in the centre of the building leads to the upper floor, which contains the canteen with its serving area and a dining hall that can accommodate around 300 guests. The support structure shapes the spatial impression of the interior, consisting of an orthogonal grid of glulam beams. This 3x3-metre grid establishes the basic module for the overall structural concept. Each module is associated with a seating group that comprises a table and six chairs as a reference size. This creates an area that fosters communication and has a dining room character. The entire geometry of the floor plan is rotated by 45 degrees in relation to the building edges, resulting in the serrated contour. The material concept – with wood, exposed concrete, glass and metallic surfaces – generates an upscale and pleasant atmosphere throughout. Wrap-around balconies offer additional seating outside.