The Union Brewery on the western edge of the historic center of Dortmund dates back to the 19th century, but the surviving Dortmunder U, or U-Tower complex, dates back to the 1920s when the complex was rebuilt and expanded. Then he became the first "high-rise" building in the city (70 m). Now the brewery has long been closed, and Dortmunder U and the entire surrounding area have accommodated institutions of the creative industries, arts and education. This was facilitated in many ways by the industrial development of this territory, with numerous vacant lots, which were convenient to use for new construction.
One of these sites was commissioned by Gerber Architekten: they designed two buildings for professional colleges (for a total of 6,000 students) and a building for the center of creative industries (as a result, it was used for offices). The complex also includes public spaces and an underground garage (more than 52 thousand square meters in total). The authors are well acquainted with this territory: it was they who adapted the U-Tower for the Center for Art and Creativity in 2008–2010. Now they had to develop a two-hectare plot bordering it, called U-Viertel, "U-Quarter".
The northern border of the territory runs over a slope that descends to the railway tracks and the station: from here you can enjoy a panoramic view of this part of Dortmund. Along it will stretch the building of the Robert Schumann Professional College, where they teach economics and management. Opposite, on the side of the brewery, is the Robert Bosch L-shaped College (Engineering and Information Technology). A public space of two "schoolyards" is arranged between them: the east one is higher than the west one by one floor, under it are the auditorium and conference rooms common to both educational institutions. The border between the courtyards is marked by two staircases: a functional staircase leading from the upper level to the lower one, and a staircase-spectator stands, placed on the roof of the auditorium, leading upward, as if into the sky. It can be used as a summer theater for outdoor performances.
In the eastern part of the basement of the complex there is also a three-level underground garage for 510 cars, as well as an adjoining office building. It is occupied by the headquarters of Thyssengas, which has 190 employees. Unlike colleges, with their elevation changes enlivening the silhouette of the "U-Quarter", this is a laconic seven-story block. Its glazed façade is cut with slender profiles that span the entire basement of the complex from the east, including the staircase leading to the block - and to the brewery - from the north.
The key approach in the Gerber Architekten project was the use of a rich red color for the Hagemeister clinker facades. Its surface with a dark scale and light "flashes" in the richness of texture and shades is not inferior to the brick facades of the "U-Tower" and other historical buildings in the neighborhood and gives the new complex the image of an architectural monument. So the generality of the material helps the new building to fit into the environment. The clinker gives an amazingly complete unity to the complex - and not only to the buildings themselves: its colors echo the paving of public spaces - also in red tones.
About the project:
Architects: Gerber Architekten
Customer: Projekt DoU Baufeld Nord GmbH & Co. KG
Area: about 52,000 m2
Construction: 2013-2016
Clinker: sorting "NF Witten" format 240 mm x 115 mm x 71 mm
Clinker façade area: 12,300 m2 (approx. 590,000 pieces)
*** The general partner of the Hagemeister factories in Russia is Firm KIRILL JSC. Kirill is a leading supplier of facing and building bricks, as well as ceramic tiles, clinker and clinker tiles. The assortment of the company includes more than 1000 brick options of different colors and textures. Recently, Hagemeister and Firm KIRILL have launched a joint program of Regional Representatives.
