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Dormitorium ***+

Thesis

2006

RWTH Aachen

The cole mine Zeche Zollverein, world cultural heritage and simultaneously a renaturalized industrial ruin. The double winding tower of shaft XII and the coking plant have been since long viewed as symbols of the twentieth century industrialization.

In the course of restructuring and putting the area to new use Zollverein has grown more and more into a center of design, art and culture. Due to a steadily increasing popularity one encounters an incrasing demand for temporary accommodation facilities on site that are capable of responding to varying visitor profiles ranging from low budget to high level equipment and spacing. As a location for such a dormitorium the lot north of shaft 1/2/8 has been selected. There one also finds the old facilities for turning the lories - Wagenumlauf - which are to be incorporated in the new building.

The conceptual foundation of the present design results from the logistic separation of the different user groups as well as from the way how to deal with the present formation of the historical site.

The Wagenumlauf serves as entrance inviting visitors to experiencing it without having to suffer from significant construction changes and retaining its authenticity.
Approaching from the driveway the old lory ramp leads the visitor to the elevated level one of the old building where he also meets the walkway that was used by the miners to reach shaft XII. Emerging from this position the lobby bridges the new and old building. The whole new building therefore rests on pillars. In order to serve differing types of visitors the dormitorium hosts three accommodation types: minimal sleeping cells, double rooms and suites. Together with the lobby, a restaurant, a service and administration area the sleeping cells are located on level one. Somewhat decoupled from this rather lively area the two more exclusive room types can be found on levels three to five. Ascending above the neighboring Wagenumlauf these rooms permit an unobstructed view on shaft XII.
Level two in between serves as free space enabling a natural illumination of the lobby and all other usages of level one. As sort of a wild garden with a typical vegetation of the surrounding area it tunes into the ruin like character of the historical mining area and offers visitors a recreational refuge.

Credits:
Marc Anton Dahmen

Advising Professor:
Wim van den Bergh