The Mössingen Library Emerges from the Pausa Tonnenhalle in Germany

Abstract

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.