diaconia house bethanien gallneukirchen

architecture
the existing building has been adapted several times over the course of time. in the course of the ongoing planning process, the structure will again be altered. the communal use of the interior and exterior spaces provided is a central concern of the present design, especially as different users with different requirements and needs will live and work here. in particular, the adaptations necessary in relation to the integration and inclusion of disabled and elderly people in a listed building represent the challenge in the planning process. the planned extension and conversion consists, on the one hand, of the single-storey extension on the north side with the main entrance and the event area and, on the other hand, of extensions and structural interventions in the existing building itself.

extension
the single-storey structure with the distinctive roofscape (wave-shaped in the event hall due to acoustic requirements, flat and walkable as a green roof adjoining the existing building) connects to the existing building at the central projection in a functionally sensible manner via the foyer, while at the same time the structure is positioned far enough away from the existing building to allow a patio with a grass garden to naturally illuminate existing rooms as well as the hall. at the ends, the new building dissolves into covered outdoor areas (veranda in the west, covered driveway in the east), with the canopies not projecting beyond the existing building in either direction. at the same time, the new building clearly displays a self-confident presence in front of the existing structure, in contrast to its massiveness, here designed as a steel skeleton with infill of prefabricated timber elements and a façade of vertical, dark-stained wooden slats. the hall can be extended into the break room by means of a mobile partition and can therefore also be used for larger events. to the west, the hall opens via the large veranda into the therapy garden; the veranda is intended to be usable for various purposes (during the day for visitors to the day-care centre, in the evening for events). constructed as described above as lightweight construction with a high degree of prefabrication, all new components are executed according to the state of the art, and at least low-energy standard should be the goal despite the limited budget. the wavy roof will be sealed with pre-patinated dark metal strips.

extension of the existing building
includes the closing of the eastern courtyard with the "sanitary structure" including a new lift and the addition of the roof studios on the north side overlooking the inner courtyard of the complex. the multi-storey new structure is designed as a reinforced concrete skeleton building, the façade aligned with the existing building and executed according to the state of the art. the same applies to the slightly inclined glass façade on the roof, which, as an addition to the existing structure, creates an exciting contrast in the inner courtyard of the ensemble. roof construction as in the extension.

interventions in the existing structure
the proposed interventions in the building fabric can be explained and justified by the functional changes in the building and are associated with great added value for those working and living in the building. in terms of design, they create an exciting dialogue with the historic building fabric (balconies on the east side at the extended and furnished end of the corridor on all floors, enlargement of the roof windows on the south side for the starter apartments, various additional windows in analogy to the existing building…). only the small sanitary block on the north side (from a later construction phase) will be demolished as a component. on the ground floor, by demolishing parts of the side walls, an attempt is made to create a central hall. inside, the spatial and functional requirements are met in particular by demolishing partition walls, whereby, as far as possible and reasonable, the existing structure is used and it is assumed that, in the further planning process, adaptation will be possible together with the users. the central staircase will be designed as an escape staircase; for this purpose, fire doors must be relocated to the corridors and the existing swing doors removed. the fire section comprises areas of varying sizes on the respective floors; the secondary staircase remains as the second escape route with an exit on the east side.