Conversion of a school building to a library

Conversion of a school building to a library in the area of Ostkreuz-Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany - © Stefan Müller

Before construction starts - ©Stefan Müller

The construction site - ©Anka Stahl

Street front - ©Anka Stahl

Before construction starts - ©Stefan Müller

interior views - ©Stefan Müller

Before construction starts - ©Stefan Müller

The renovated building - ©Stefan Müller

Conversion of a school building to a library in the area of Ostkreuz-Friedrichshain, Berlin

Status

ongoing

City

Berlin

Main actors

Local Government

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Duration

Ongoing since 2008

The innovative and sustainable architectural concept applied to the District Central Library has delivered a new cultural meeting point for all generations that contribute to revitalizing the area.

Until 2005, the four-story prefab building located at Frankfurter Allee 14a in Berlin housed a school. The conversion project initiated by the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg commenced in 2008. Assisted by the architect firm “Peter W. Schmidt Architect BDA”, the authorities planned the establishment of a new District Central Library with the aim of providing the neighborhood with a new meeting point for interested readers of all ages. The library is not only storing and offering diverse media to the public: It is also designed as a place for communication and exchange. In the new library, students, families and seniors can, for instance, meet at the reading café or attend a conference in the new auditorium.

The architectural conception of the 2,706 square meters new District Central Library is both sophisticated and functional. A remarkable design element of the library building is the façade, characterized by a curtain of solid wooden slats. The entrance to the building consists of an open and spacious, two-story foyer. By means of large-area façade openings, the library is at the same time visually opened to its city environment. The appearance of the building alone draws much public attention and interest to the library. The project has been largely financed by the national funding program “Stadtumbau West” (“Urban Restructuring in the New Federal States”).

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

City information

City

Berlin, Germany

Size and population development

In 2019, the municipality of Berlin had a population of 3,669,491 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the European Union (EU). The larger metropolitan area has about 5 million inhabitants.

Population composition

According to estimations, about one third of Berlin’s population was foreign born or has a migratory background. These inhabitants originate from other parts of the EU—such as Poland, Italy or Bulgaria—as well as from countries outside of the EU, such as Syria, Vietnam or the United States of America. The largest non-native population comes from Turkey: In 2019, more than 107,000 Turkish nationals were registered as inhabitants of Berlin.

Main functions

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. As a city-state it is also one of the country’s 16 Länder, as the federal states are called in Germany. Situated approximately 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea, the city lies in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River, which runs through Berlin’s centre. The city extends over an area of 891.7 square kilometres and stands at an average altitude of 34 meters above sea level. After the reunification of Germany and East and West Berlin in 1990, the unified Berlin was re-established as the country’s capital (replacing Bonn, the former capital of West Germany). In 1999, large parts of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag finally moved back to Berlin. Berlin is a city of great historical significance, which becomes evident considering the amount of historical landmarks that visualize the city’s history. Some of the most important landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate (built in 1793), the Reichstag Building (which dates to 1884), remnants of the Berlin Wall (taken down on the 9th of November 1989) or the Holocaust memorial (inaugurated in 2003). Berlin is also a famous cultural hub, known for its world-class museums, theatres, operas and concert halls as well as its vibrant club scene and street art. Finally, the Brain City Berlin is a leading location for science and research. It is home to a number of prestigious universities such as the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, with more than 35,000 students each as well as renowned research institutions and think tanks.

Main industries / business

As the fourth largest economy of the world, Germany has a wide array of prestigious industries. Berlin is home to a diverse mix of economic activities: state-owned enterprises, creative industries, automotive manufacturers, (digital) media corporations, high-tech and telecommunication companies as well as multiple digital pioneers that flourish in the city’s vibrant start-up scene. Tourism is constantly growing and brings about 14 million visitors (2019) to the city every year.

Sources for city budget

Berlin draws its budget for public expenditure largely from taxes, federal transfers, fees, fines and operating revenues. It is spent not only to provide high quality public services, but also to boost the city’s private sector, civil society engagement and cultural life.

Political structure

The city-state Berlin is governed by the Berlin Senate, which is comprised of 10 senators, and the Governing Mayor. As the capital of Germany, Berlin hosts the Bundesregierung (federal government), the Bundestag (federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (the parliamentary chamber of the 16 Länder). Each of the 16 Länder has a representation in Berlin. On many political issues, the Länder have co-legislative powers vis-à-vis the Federal government. Moreover, Berlin hosts embassies from more than 120 countries from around the world.

Administrative structure

Berlin is administrated by the Senate and its 12 districts or boroughs (Bezirke). The Senate is the city’s central administration, in charge of city planning, public policy, and the regulation of public and private spheres. The district administrations have some decentralized public functions, with reasonable differences between the various localities.

Website

http://www.berlin.de

Background and objectives

The new District Central Library of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is established in a vacant school building constructed in the 1960s. The library is located in the heart of the Friedrichshain district. Its immediate vicinity is characterized by residential areas and other existing school buildings thus making the library easily accessible to the local population.

Through the complex renovation works that were carried out over two years, the new structure of the building had to meet, in its form and function, the needs of a public library. The objective of the project was to contribute to rebuilding and revitalizing the area around the Frankfurter Tor and Warschauer Straße and thus to improve the overall quality of life in the district. The diverse range of resources and equipment available to the public in the library and the architectural quality of the new building had to contribute to the realization of this objective.

Implementation

The facade

The new building’s shell is composed of slats of wood that have been suspended in front of the existing prefabricated façade. From the outside, the building appears as a monolith associated with a two large openings that provide the library with its public character. Prefabricated elements made of aluminum have been introduced perpendicularly into the wood sheets. The interplay between the various slat positions of the facade lets the light come inside the building with changing intensity. At night, interior lighting makes the building seems “translucent, light and fragile”.

Construction and materials

Whereas the supporting structure of the building has been kept intact, the removal of the existing interior fittings has resulted in a library building with flowing interiors. The interior walls and the ceilings have been plastered and painted white. An energy efficient lighting system ensures appropriate illumination of the library at night. The floors in the entrance of the library are equipped with oak parquet flooring. The other levels are covered by a linoleum floor in warm tones that differentiate each floor by a particular color.

Fire protection design for the facade

According to the requirements of the Berlin’s building regulations, surfaces of exterior walls must be flame retardant. The building includes a black-clad thermal barrier coating located under the suspended wood facade. Only non-combustible building materials have been used behind the wooden slats.

Economics

The fact that the building structure has been kept unchanged and only the interior fittings have been remodeled has allowed the project to be successfully implemented within original, relatively low, budget parameters. Moreover, heat protection requirements applied to the façade guarantee insulation. Exposure occurs mostly with natural light. Thanks to the wooden slats on the façade, sun protection is guaranteed to ensure thermal insulation in summer, whereas daylight is directed in an optimal manner in the building interior. Through an enhanced window glazing, the energy loss of the building has been largely reduced: on the north side, the total window area has been reduced to a minimum.

Financing and resources

Total cost: EUR 5.46 million, of which 4.71 million was allocated from:

• the "Urban Restructuring in the New Federal States" program,

• the EU (ERDF "library in the district")

Results and impacts

The District Central Library has a collection of around 100,000 books and media for children, adolescents and adults that can be used for on-site consultation or circulation.

Visitors of the District Central Library have access to:

a reading Café that offers the opportunity to work or consult a document in a more relaxed atmosphere,
event rooms where readings and language development sessions are organized,
a family library opened to children, parents, grandparents, educators and teachers. This is a large space for shared reading, playing games or doing homework. It also offers public access to books, magazines and games, including PC and console games.
a multimedia learning center that invites visitors to surf on the Internet, work with Office programs and access an online e-learning platform to gain language skills.
SelfCheck machines that encourage the public to borrow and return books and other media in an independent manner.

Lessons learned and transferability

The District Central Library of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg has become a benchmark example for sustainable redevelopment. Thanks to sophisticated architecture and interior design concepts, an existing public building has been successfully converted and reinvigorated for use as an educational and cultural space that will be of great benefit to the local community.

References

- Peter W. Schmidt Architekt BDA. 2014. Erläuterungsbericht Wettbewerb Bezirkszentralbibliothek Frankfurter Allee, Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/staedtebau/foerderprogramme/stadtumbau/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/BFB_Entwurfsbeschreibung_lang_01.pdf. [Accessed 18 October 2016].

- Berlin.de. 2016. Bibliotheksbau...vom Schulhaus zur Bibliothek. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.berlin.de/stadtbibliothek-friedrichshain-kreuzberg/bibliotheken/bezirkszentralbibliothek-frankfurter-allee/bibliothek-und-architektur/bibliotheksbau/artikel.88988.php. [Accessed 18 October 2016].

- Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment. 2016. Ostkreuz Friedrichshain Umnutzung einer Schule zur Bezirkszentralbibliothek "Pablo Neruda". [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/staedtebau/foerderprogramme/stadtumbau/Pablo-Neruda-Bibliothek-PDF.4580.0.html. [Accessed 18 October 2016].