The Mössingen Library Emerges from the Pausa Tonnenhalle in Germany
A barrel hall, designed in 1950/51 by the architect Manfred Lehmbruck
as a textile printing hall for the Pausa company and extended in 1962 into a larger
industrial complex was listed as a historical monument after the company went
bankrupt in 2004. In 2011, the structure found a new use as the Mössingen public
library when the building was renovated and converted in accordance with listed
building regulations. The philosophy, and the benefits and challenges of combining
a new use with a historic building, are described from the point of view of the
architect and of the librarian. The project architect outlines the context informing
his strongly held belief in the importance of connecting places and buildings with
their history. The solutions that met the requirements of both the new use as a
library and the protection and preservation of a listed building are described. The
librarian discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the conversion and the
library’s importance to users.
Files in this item