-
Architects: Estudio Primitivo González | eGa, mmp Architects
- Area: 4500 m²
- Year: 2020
-
Photographs:Fernando Guerra
-
Lead Architects: Primitivo González, Noa González, Ara González, Tobias Müller, Rupert Marcus
-
Consultants: Kienle Beratende Ingenieure, Andreas Kienle
Text description provided by the architects. Salem is a prosperous locality in the vicinity of the Bodensee. One of the main attractions is a lake, populated in the summer months by holidaymakers from the area. The Salem Gemeinde decided to build the town hall as the centerpiece of a new urban development next to the lake, which also includes residential and commercial buildings, offices, and parking. The town hall links the existing town to the lake, via a new park.
Brick is the main building material, which is used to generate a rotund massing, sculpted and perforated to highlight the main performative functions of the building - namely, the corner entrance (the connection between citizens and government) and the grand conference room on the top floor (symbolizing the government's function). The void in the corner entrance and the big massing on the top floor generate tension in the overall volume, resulting in a memorable image; it is an enduring and timeless building. In the rest of the building, the layout is organized around a central atrium. Two sides of it are used for offices, and the third, on the side overlooking the new park, has a stack of specific uses for the town hall (library, wedding hall, public meeting area, conference rooms...). It is a functional and clear organization, which allows for future flexibility.
The striking sculptural brick jacket, with its iconic look, envelops a functional building. Inside, the central atrium generates a beautiful and representative space for the pleasure of workers, citizens, and visitors alike.
