2015 Fabian KievenFabian Kieven - BEHALA Westhafen Berlin
The task objective is an architectural concept and free design for the existing listed buildings at Westhafen Berlin. The newly planned type of use is an Integrated Music Center for the various sub-areas of musical experience and producing. The overall concept envisages the inventory conversion of warehouses 2 and 3 and the immediately adjacent open spaces.
For the two warehouses there is created a program that performs the integration of the most important uses in the field of music and using the enormous interior volume of the warehouses while preserving the charm of the historic architecture. According to the incorporated usages of the Music Center simple structures made of anthracite concrete are deliberately inserted or purposed from the outside. This is done on the north side of the warehouses, according to the principle of their historic crosswall-construction, similar to the original purpose of the storerooms.
The concept is divided into 3 main elements:
In this case the two warehouses become the basic element. Their different floors are re-staffed in order to their specific functional properties and get partially linked to one another.
The second instance provide the added installations which incorporate themselves as spatial and functional structures, in the form of massive walls or acoustically optimized wooden boxes in the constructive backbone of the existing buildings.
One particular spatial function has the so-called Third Hierarchy. It defines itself by deliberately arranged free areas which are for common use and to be revitalized by the fluctuations of the user repeatedly. The Third Hierarchy is especially reserved for music creators, which may occur in cooperation with the established connections within the functions. The Third Hierarchy thus brings a piece of subcultural chaos into the rearranged building structure while always ensuring a perception of the charming flair of the inventory architecture.
For the two warehouses there is created a program that performs the integration of the most important uses in the field of music and using the enormous interior volume of the warehouses while preserving the charm of the historic architecture. According to the incorporated usages of the Music Center simple structures made of anthracite concrete are deliberately inserted or purposed from the outside. This is done on the north side of the warehouses, according to the principle of their historic crosswall-construction, similar to the original purpose of the storerooms.
The concept is divided into 3 main elements:
In this case the two warehouses become the basic element. Their different floors are re-staffed in order to their specific functional properties and get partially linked to one another.
The second instance provide the added installations which incorporate themselves as spatial and functional structures, in the form of massive walls or acoustically optimized wooden boxes in the constructive backbone of the existing buildings.
One particular spatial function has the so-called Third Hierarchy. It defines itself by deliberately arranged free areas which are for common use and to be revitalized by the fluctuations of the user repeatedly. The Third Hierarchy is especially reserved for music creators, which may occur in cooperation with the established connections within the functions. The Third Hierarchy thus brings a piece of subcultural chaos into the rearranged building structure while always ensuring a perception of the charming flair of the inventory architecture.
