CITY LIBRARY

HEIDENHEIM A. D. BRENZ

Max Dudler’s most recent library building in Heidenheim resembles an abstract of a city skyline. The structure
extends between the historic Old Town and the eastern part of the city – characterised by a heterogeneous,
post-war architectural style – and unites Heidenheim’s layers of architectural history. In 2013, Max Dudler
won the Heidenheim competition for the design of the new building, which was officially inaugurated on 10
November 2017.

The inner city of Heidenheim is characterised by post-war architecture, which is visually distinct from the historical
development of the Old Town. Max Dudler’s new library building is situated on the previously inaccessible property
of a former penal institution, which has hitherto manifested the division between the small-scale development in
the eastern part of the city and the Old Town. The new city library now connects the two areas: As an urban figure,
it reflects the many layers of Heidenheim’s architectural history and the scale of the surrounding area by making
proportional reference to the gabled buildings in the adjacent Old Town. Between the two “heads” rising into the sky
spans an urban landscape made up of smaller “houses”, the layout of which is oriented on the long structure parallel
to it. The transformation of the “organic” city results in a sculptural structure, an urban silhouette. In conjunction with
the neighbouring St. Paul’s Church and the old town hall, the new building can be seen both as a solitary object and
an integral part of the urban context.

The urban setting and formulation of the new building block refers directly to the existing typologies in the inner city,
characterised by passages, squares and promenades. With the new urban esplanade on the east side, the new
building connects the central bus station in the north with the Town Hall to the south, thus creating a new link and
an exceptional urban area. The plant beds, which project into the square, reflect the silhouette of the building in their
shape. Between the neighbouring structure and the new building, a passageway emerges as a counterpart to the
promenade in the front.

The large-format windows deliberately stand out from the filigree architecture of the surrounding area. With the
deep-set soffits, they direct the visitor’s view into the urban space and alternate with finely perforated wall surfaces,
which allows filtered daylight into the interior. From the outside, the actual scale of the windows is difficult to gauge,
creating an exciting contrast to the expansive wall surfaces. The façade material is light beige brickwork, whose
colour references Schloss Hellenstein, which towers above the centre of the town. By using handcrafted water-

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based clinkers, an interplay of lighter and darker shades of beige is created on the façade. The vibrant character
of the masonry is supported by the irregular shape of the clinkers and the type of joint mortar. With their relief-like
surface texture, the large, closed brick wall surfaces appear restrained in scale. On the end sides of the building
and on the ground floor area a perforated-masonry, translucent brickwork is used, which intensifies the sculptural,
monolithic character of the building.

The building will house the city library, an integrational café, an event hall, a public media centre and the city archive.
The mixture of uses transforms the building into a public place with a certain identity, and this special significance
is expressed in its architecture. Located at the newly designed forecourt, the main entrance, which is open to the
outside, invites visitors into the foyer that spans the building’s entire height. The various functions are immediately
apparent from here. From the entrance foyer, the path leads to the “market square”, or the library, as well as to the
large event hall, designed for approx. 160 spectators, and to the district media centre. From the market square, a
generous staircase leads to the non-book area of the library on the first floor and to the so-called “promenade” on
the second floor, which connects all five high-ceilinged reading rooms. The café at the southern end of the building,
which is also accessible from the forecourt, forms another entrance and centre of attraction.

The actual library area is a column-free space continuum; it extends over the entire second floor and forms the
distinctive, striking silhouette of the building. A sequence of high library halls and low cabinets creates a captivating
sequence of rooms, which, via the more than 110-meter-long promenade, can be experienced at a glance. This
arrangement of rooms of alternating heights characterises the reading landscape and creates exciting visual
references within the different areas. Two reading terraces on the top floor invite visitors to linger in the fresh air in
good weather. All the interior furniture and fixtures were designed by Max Dudler. They are completely white and
highlighted with oak accents, e.g. the shelves in the gallery space and the furniture in the information area. A light
grey polished concrete terrazzo with locally sourced aggregates was selected for the flooring.

With the City Library in Heidenheim, Max Dudler has constructed his fourth library. Currently he is working on the
realisation of two other library buildings: the central library of the Justus Liebig University in Gießen and the extension
of the state and city library in Augsburg.

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INFORMATION Construction Supervisation
Architekturbüro Manfred Schasler, Berlin

Project Structural Engineers

Stadtbibliothek Heidenheim wh-p GmbH Beratende Ingenieure

Location Building Services

Willy-Brandt-Platz 1 , D-89522 Heidenheim Herp Ingenieure GmbH & Co. KG

Client/User Electrical planning

Stadt Heidenheim, Conplaning GmbH
vertr. durch den Geschäftsbereich Hochbau
Building physics & acoustics
Building volumes Wolfgang Sorge Ingenieurbüro
NF: 3.700 m² für Bauphysik GmbH & Co. KG
BGF: 6.300 m²
BRI: 29.800 m³ Fire Safety
Müller BBM GmbH
Construction period
2014 bis 2017 Open space design
Hager Partner AG
Architect
Max Dudler Photographer
Oranienplatz 4 Stefan Müller, Berlin
D-10999 Berlin [email protected]

Project managers Press contact

Andreas Enge, Julian Möhring [email protected]

Team
Roberto Aruta, Min Gi Hong, Tassilo Lochocki

Competition
Jochen Soydan (project manager), Julian Möhring,
Elisabetta Chapuis, Pontus Falk, Philip Kraus

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CITY LIBRARY Press contact
HEIDENHEIM [email protected]

Photos
Stefan Müller, Berlin

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BILDUNTERSCHRIFTEN

01 Front façade of building along the city promenade

02 View into the street at the rear façade
03 Perforated surface on the southern gable with entry into the underground car park
04 Main entrance with newly designed forecourt
05 The sculptural structure as abstract of a city skyline
06 Large windows contrasting with the brick wall surfaces
07 Façade detailing with recess for rooftop terrace
08 Rooftop terrace with view of the St. Paul’s Church
09 Library area around the flight of stairs on the second storey
10 View along the passageway that connects all five reading rooms
11 Floorplan and horizontal section 2nd floor

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LIST OF WORKS
(SELECTION)

1997 BEWAG-Haus am Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin

2017 Schwabinger Tor, S 10/20/30, Munich
1996 Restaurant Sale E Tabacchi, Berlin
Office building Wilmersdorfer Straße, Berlin
1995 Development Bahnhofsplatz, Mannheim

Sattelkammer, Heidelberg Castle
1989 Umspannwerk am Lützowplatz, Berlin
2016 Cantzheim, Kanzem an der Saar
1986 Schwarzes Café, Frankfurt a. M.
2015 Schwabinger Tor, N10, Munich
AOK Head Office, Bremerhaven
Reception Area Drägerwerk, Lübeck
2014 Visitors’ Centre Sparrenburg, Bielefeld Max Dudler was born in Altenrhein in Switzerland. ­After
Annexbau Herostrasse, Zurich (CH) completing his studies in architecture at the Städel­schule
2013 Europaallee, Zurich (CH) in Frankfurt am Main and at the Hochschule der Künste
High-rise ensemble Hagenholzstaße, Zurich (CH) Berlin, he began his career in the offices of O
­ swald Ma-
Areal Giessen, Meilen (CH) thias Ungers before establishing an architectural ­office
2012 Visitors’ Centre, Heidelberg Castle together with Karl Dudler and Pete Welbergen in 1986.
Neue Stadthalle, Reutlingen He has headed his own practice, with branches in Ber-
Folkwang Bibliothek, Essen lin, Zürich and Frankfurt am Main, since 1992.
2011 Renovation and extension of Over the past two decades, the practice’s focus has
Hambacher Schloss, Neustadt a. d. WS expanded beyond traditional architectural tasks. In e
­ ver
2009 Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm-Zentrum, Zentral- changing contexts, Max Dudler has transposed his
bibliothek of the Humboldt-Universität, Berlin conceptual approach onto areas as diverse as u
­ rban
High-rise ensemble Ulmenstraße, planning, transportation structures, conversions, his-
Frankfurt a. M. toric preservation, exhibition design and even furnitu-
2008 Remodelling of the Abspannwerk re d
­ esign. He has won numerous prizes, including the
Wilhelmsruh, Berlin 2012 DAM Prize for Architecture in Germany for his
2007 Expansion Landesbehördenzentrum design for Hambacher Schloss, and the Nike in 2010
Eberswalde for the best urban planning interpretation for the Jacob-
2005 Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum, are the results of the re-
Diözesanbibliothek, Münster sonance of his continued and active engagement with
IBM Headquarters, Zurich (CH) architecture.
Federal Ministry for Transport, 2004 Max Dudler was appointed professor of Baukunst
Construction and Housing, Berlin at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.
2000 Hotel »Quartier 65«, Mainz

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