Video – Schwieger Architects 2015/ 2016
Architects shape our cities, streets and society with their work. Göttingen architect Hansjochen Schwieger deliberately focuses on normality. With technically and formally high-quality buildings, he sets himself apart from the spectacular and often excited event architecture. “Conservative in the best sense. Schwieger Architects have been working successfully according to this principle for many years in a wide range of projects, from residential and office buildings to urban development. Architecture that meets the highest formal standards, but never loses sight of its task,” says Professor Gert Kähler Hamburg.
Hansjochen Schwieger in conversation:
Moderator:
Regarding your work, are there any focal points, a specialization?
Hansjochen Schwieger:
Well, we do everything. We are, so to speak, the specialist for the general. And we look after buildings ranging from garages to churches. But all with care and in harmony with the surroundings, so that there are no breaks and the buildings blend in unobtrusively. This is a particular concern for us when building in existing buildings. Special buildings are, of course, churches, large research and laboratory buildings or even clinics, but also very small projects, renovation projects, residential buildings, extensions. And that actually gives us a lot of pleasure. And we are just as committed to the small tasks as we are to the large ones.
Moderator:
You are also involved in voluntary work. For example, you are a member of the Göttingen Urban Planning Advisory Board and were honored for this by the then Prime Minister Sigmar Gabriel. Can you give us any other examples of your voluntary work?
Hansjochen Schwieger:
Yes, I have participated in a working group of the Chamber of Architects that is committed to recording buildings from the 60s and 70s that have quality. To present and also make recognizable buildings from the 60s and 70s. But also to organize public events where citizens are involved in the process of recognizing what qualities the built environment has or should have.
Some examples of projects include the construction of a new building for the Paul-Gerhardt-School in Dassel with a foyer, which can also be used as an event room with a stage, was built in 2011. residential and commercial buildings at Wenderstrasse 22 and 24 in Göttingen were renovated in 2014, from the façade to the top floor. No less challenging was the refurbishment and conversion of the building at Barfüßerstraße 11 in Göttingen which took place in 2002, was no less challenging. The residential and commercial development on the Sieber, the Sparkasse Herzberg am Harzwas built in 2000 after winning an architectural competition. The creation of a small associated park acts as a quiet zone and lends the ensemble a sense of nature and charm. Buildings for science and research pose particular challenges. The Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization received a new building in 2011. This was based on winning a national architectural competition. The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry received a multimedia seminar room with foyer, library, cafeteria and espresso bar in 2010. The historic lecture hall was also renovated. The interior design of the catering area was also planned by the architects and, with a bit of luck, visitors might just bump into a Nobel Prize winner during their coffee break. In the construction project of the PS warehouse in Einbeck the Göttingen planners took over the project management. An old historic granary was to be transformed into a world of experience about the creation of the first usable road vehicles. Completion is scheduled for July 2014 and a hotel is currently being built to accompany the PS-Speicher ensemble. Schwieger Architekten is responsible for planning and construction management. And as the next project, the office is developing ideas for a supplementary event hall “PS-Halle”.
Here is a statement from Mr. Holger Eilers, Chairman of the Kornhaus Cultural Foundation.
Holger Eilers:
Mr. Schwieger joined the project at a time when the small PS-Speicher team was in danger of outgrowing the project. Difficult structural conditions in the historic granary, diverse requirements and conditions imposed by the building authorities, their own high standards of quality and design and, above all, immense time pressure had pushed those involved to the limits of their capacity. In this respect, it was an extraordinary stroke of luck that Schwieger had just successfully completed another building project for Karl-Heinz Rehkopf’s group of companies and was able to take over the project management in Einbeck with his team. With his help, it was possible to complete the complex construction project on time and with the necessary care, so that the PS-Speicher was able to open its doors on time in July 2014.
At the hotelwhose planning was only started later, Mr. Schwieger and his team were involved right from the start. He built on the existing preliminary work and completed the planning according to the specifications of the client and tenant. During the subsequent construction phase, we could well understand how right Mr. Schwieger was with his admonition to first plan carefully and with some attention to detail, then put it out to tender and finally build exactly what had been planned beforehand and, above all, for heaven’s sake, no supplements. We weren’t able to adhere to this 100 percent, but almost. The reward is construction costs that are reasonable compared to the quality achieved and, above all, almost on schedule. Costs and organization are one thing. The other is the architect’s signature. We will perhaps be able to judge how good it is after 10, 20 or possibly only 30 years.
In Mr Schwieger we have found an architect who takes up the wishes of the client and almost imperceptibly puts them down on paper in his own handwriting. Schwieger builds modern buildings, but not with fashionable bells and whistles that may no longer be up to date tomorrow. His buildings are characterized by sustainability and durability. Buildings can age gracefully if they are built accordingly. This requires the appropriate materials, careful planning in detail and an architect who combines both. We have found such a special architect in Mr. Schwieger. For this we owe him our thanks.
