Experimenta Building in Heilbronn
Experimenta Building in Heilbronn
Sauerbruch Hutton
Year
2019
FIRE PROTECTION
hhpberlin
LOCATION
Heilbronn, Germany
SITE SUPERVISION
Wenzel + Wenzel
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Hager Partner AG
CATEGORIES
Science Center
CLIENT
Schwarz Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG
HVAC + BUILDING PHYSICS + FAÇADE CONSULTANCY + ENERGY DESIGN
Drees & Sommer GmbH
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
SBP Schlaich Bergermann Partner GmbH
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Drees & Sommer GmbH, Mirco Beutelspacher, Volker Mack
DESIGN TEAM
Matthias Sauerbruch, Louisa Hutton, Juan Lucas Young Andrew Kiel, Peter Apel Jürgen Bartenschlag, Marc Broquetas, Stefan Fuhlrott, Falco Herrmann, Viviane Hülsmeier, Axel Ibarroule, Rémi Jalade, Nils Lindhorst, Patrick Mc Hugh, Felix Partzsch, Jimi Pazos Estevez, Tanja Reiche-Hoppe, Amalia Sanchez, Christian Seidel, Marina Stoynova, Markus Weber, Waldemar Wilwer
Text description provided by architect.
This emblematic building stands at the centre of Heilbronn, on an island in the River Neckar.
It is conceived as a helical sequence of spaces offering an experience that is finely choreographed between the interior of the building and the surrounding landscape.
The new building forms an ensemble with a converted warehouse, framing a small piazza from where visitors enter the museum.
Passing through the spacious foyer, they move upwards along the helix.
The Experimenta building is like a toolbox whose architecture reinforces the educational purpose of the science centre.
This takes them through four levels containing themed exhibition spaces that focus on scientific and technological subjects.
For young visitors there are interactive media installations, where they can apply what they have just learned to specific tasks.
The themed sections on each floor are offset in horseshoe form around the core of the building and a full-height atrium, into which pods are inserted that contain interactive stations.
Finally, the helix brings visitors out onto a landscaped roof terrace that offers a panorama of the entire Neckar Valley.
Also located on the roof are an astronomical observatory and an auditorium for experimental theatre.
An alternative route leads to the basement, where the 360° Science Dome cinema and spaces for temporary exhibitions are located.
It presents views out into the distance, while also leading the eye inwards, right down to a microscopic scale.
