The Berlin office studioinges won the competition for the redevelopment and extension of an old oilseed-warehouse from the 30´s into a Science Centre for science and technology in Heilbronn in 2007 against well-known competitors. Studioinges realised the redevelopment of the warehouse - known as "Hagenbucher" - and added a slender new building. Meanwhile the "experimenta" was opened to the public as first science centre of its kind in South Germany.
As "joint skin" the new building got the same clinker shell as the exiting warehouse, thereby strengthening its solitary impression on the Neckar-island. At the interlace of the twin building - a glass-joint - the building is revealing some of the interior with iridescent green and yellow with exciting insights and views. The green lit up aluminium boards of the joint create an interesting contrast to the natural brown-red bricks of the outer skin. The main staircase is cut into the green wall and is thereby transformed to a sculpture. The offset arrangement of the old and new building is showing the green wall as a hallmark from a great distance and in the city area as well.
The floors of the historic warehouse with its visible reinforced concrete skeleton were kept to a large extend and are containing the exhibition. Only on the top floor the roof and supports were removed in favour of a cube with function hall, foyer and roof deck. The knew building accommodates the foyer, different school laboratories, administration and areas for special exhibitions.
The exhibition concept was developed and realised by the Bremen office Petri & Tiemann together with the experimenta and the Gruppe fur Gestaltung. Exclusively interactive exhibits impart knowledge to children and adolescents in a playful way. The building construction was mainly taken over by the town of Heilbronn as model of public-private-partnership, while the entire built-in-components and exhibits of the exhibition were funded by sponsors.
The building was awarded with Beispielhaftes Bauen in Baden-Wuerttemberg 2010, commendation special award "town and education" of the Deutsche Stadtebaupreis 2010, shortlist of contractworld-award 2011 in the category "young generation/conversion" and the DEUBAU-Preis 2012.
