Tonofenfabrik appeared in the center of Lara in 1896: it was built by the architect Karl Meurer for the entrepreneur Karl Friedrich Liermann; every year the company produced 3000 tiled stoves. However, due to the proliferation of central heating, furnaces of steel were not needed and the factory closed in 1957; at the beginning of the 21st century, only the two lower floors were used for warehouses and offices, and the building was slowly collapsing. In 2014, the building, which had the status of a monument, was acquired by the municipality, and after the restructuring in February 2018, the Museum of Urban History moved there.
The heneghan peng bureau has reconstructed the Tonofenfabrik building with an L-shaped plan and added a red concrete tower, which encloses the staircase and elevator. As a result, the volume of the museum became a completed rectangular block, and also acquired the necessary showiness to attract visitors and play a noticeable role in the cultural life of Lara - which this cultural institution did not succeed in its former place, in the city park. The component of conspicuity, of course, is provided not only by the new part, but also by the old one - including the tall pipe.
The ground floor with a lobby, a café and a museum shop is intended as an extension of the public space around the Tonofenfabrik. Above, the exhibition halls begin, which, thanks to the new staircase, can be viewed along a continuous spiral route. The information-filled white spaces of the exhibition contrast with the dark red interiors of the staircase, which create an extremely sensual impression and help to cope with possible "museum fatigue".
