Before the transformation measures began, it was noticeable that the severe decline resulting from many years of vacancy had already spread to the urban environment. In terms of urban planning, not only did a protected architectural monument need to be saved, a location at the heart of urban public life also had to be revived.
Luckenwalde was the only small German town to receive funding for this purpose as part of the European Community's URBAN programme. FF Architekten and Martina Wronna from Berlin complemented the old building with an abstract spatial sculpture - a double-warped building with TECU® Gold shingle cladding. Together with the renovated railway station building, this shining gem is to mark a centre point of urban public life and have a revitalising effect on the nearby neighbourhoods.
Golden shingles wrap around the extension like a homogeneous skin. The glass surfaces on the ground floor and upper floor are also designed to function as continuations of the outer skin. They therefore sit flush with the cladding. The homogeneous impression is reinforced by the filigree gold mesh in the pane cavity of the insulating glazing. Like a curtain, the OKATECH metal insert from OKALUX filters the incoming light and uses the daylight to create even, glare-free illumination inside the building. The lounge-like area of the young people’s library is atmospherically protected and different reflections on the mesh cause light and shadow to play off each other in many enchanting ways.