Image
Top
Navigation

The new Buddenbrookhaus Lübeck

2nd prize in the open single-phase realization competition with 20 participants. The Buddenbrookhaus, the scene of Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks and the headquarters of the Mann family, is a successful literature museum in Lübeck. In order to meet rising demand, the local government has financed the purchase of the neighbouring property, giving the museum the opportunity to double in size and reorganize itself in terms of content and structural design. A new development amidst the history is the differentiation of the two parts of the building. On the one side, Buddenbrookhaus, Mengstraße 4, is restored to its original form (historic roof shape, use of original staircase location) in a contemporary manner. In contrast, Mengstraße 6 is to be developed into a modern museum building with its own distinctive character, distinguishing it from the neighbouring building. In so doing, the history of the place and the individual building elements are brought to life and, in equal parts, form an exciting overall ensemble. Essential features of the original spatial structure of the Buddenbrookhaus are restored. The floor heights are chosen in order to create a good relation to the facades and emphasize the impression of space, for example in the original hallway. The sense of the historical room layout is further strengtened by the return of a staircase to its original position. The building Mengstraße 6 is planned, in terms of appearance, as a modern, contemporary museum building. On the other hand, the existing facade, translocated in the post-war period, serves as a design-determining basic element which is to be integrated with the newly planned red-brick building to the rear, creating a fusion between old and new.

Size: approx. 2.955 m2 GFA
Competition: 2nd prize
Date: 2018
Use: Culture
Initiator: Hanseatic City of Lübeck