EXPANSION Vocational school Eimsbüttel

As one of seven districts in Hamburg, Eimsbüttel is particularly known for its significant media and creative industries. Architecturally, the densely built-up core area is characterised by a colourful mix and a large number of listed buildings. One of them was originally penned by the important Hamburg architect Fritz Schumacher: the Eimsbüttel Vocational School, to which a new class building has been added by means of an extension, and whose cubature perpetuates Schumacher's history.

Project: Classroom building extension with integrated cafeteria, partial conversion and modernisation
Client: SBH | Schulbau Hamburg
Service: 2-9 HOAI
Area: about 4.400 m² GFA
Location: Lutterothstraße 80 in Hamburg
Photography: Martin Lukas Kim
Specifics: Extension of a listed ensemble during ongoing operation

The history of the building from 1912 should remain legible. Both inside and out, the glass joint marks the caesura as well as the togetherness of both parts.

It bustles and it teems while the stomach growls. The two-storey cafeteria is the heart of the four-storey new building. It is used as a market, multi-purpose hall and all-day area and connects the old and new buildings. Warm wood and textile surfaces meet exposed concrete here, which was left raw and, in combination with the visible ceiling constructions, lights and trusses, exudes industrial charm. The light-flooded ground floor can be divided into two separate areas by mobile partition walls so that events can also be held here.

Three learning floors are accessed from the cafeteria, which are also connected to the old building via the glass joint. The jargon here is »compartments«, which means »open teaching area that can be used flexibly like a continuous room, but is zoned into different areas«. Thus, lessons can take place in conventional classrooms or can be enlarged as desired by connecting combination zones and differentiation areas. What is this good for? It makes teaching even more individual and practical, and the flexible furniture makes it possible to react spatially to different teaching situations.

A school without a guidance system can sometimes end up in chaos. The three predominant colours green, blue and orange ensure quick and safe orientation within the school building and are taken from the logo of the Eimsbüttel vocational school. They appear not only on the ceilings of the compartments, but also in the staircase core and the seating.

Voices from the team

As an architectural practice in Hamburg, following in the footsteps of Fritz Schumacher is above all a challenge: how much do we want to and are we allowed to change, and how much should we orient ourselves towards one of the most important architects of his time?

Thorsten

When adding on to the existing building, we made accessibility a virtue: On the ground floor, there is a difference in height between the existing building and the extension. To solve this problem, the ground floor of the new building was lowered by two metres so that it is now at the same level as the western courtyard. This not only brought the floors of the old and new buildings into line, but also gave the refectory a two-storey design in places. The seating area benefits from a generous ceiling height, which creates an airy atmosphere. In addition, the new lift was strategically placed to ensure barrier-free accessibility for the entire school, including the existing building.

Sarah