District school, ecological and multicultural
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Source: Stadtteilbüro Bismarck/Schalke-Nord
Following the retreat of the mining industry in the 1980s, the districts Bismarck and Schalke-Nord in Gelsenkirchen (pop. 289.000) have been exposed to a fundamental structural change accompanied by the attendant economic, social and urban design problems. The first redevelopment measures were performed as early as during the international architectural exhibition IBA Emscher Park on 1990. In 1994, both districts were accepted into the NRW State district redevelopment programme, its acceptance for the federal and state programme “Social City” followed in 1999. An integrated activity approach ensured that improvements could be achieved for the residents, the local economy and the entire town.
Photography: Tina Hörmann
As a key project of the architectural exhibition “IBA Emscher Park”, the comprehensive school development in Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck represented a “carrier of hope for new social approaches" for the industrial northern Ruhr district. The architecturally sophisticated concept designed by Stuttgart architect Peter Hübner combined theoretical, practical and social learning and consciously included extramural activities within the district.
The construction of the low energy standard wood frame building featuring ecological building materials, grass roofs and rain water utilization started in 1997. The school’s public facilities (library, canteen, assembly hall, administration and functional rooms) are arranged along a “school street”. Closure is provided by a round workshop building on the northern and the „district house“ on the southern side. Both buildings are accessible independently of school operations. The ensemble is completed by a triple sports hall, a pyramid building for exhibition purposes and the advanced level school building, the conversion of a former secondary school.
The six „class buildings“ attached to the central school axis on the sides were planned and designed jointly by the architects and individual student age groups between 1998 and 2004 as part of the so-called “architecture days (Architektentage).
A connection to the “Bismarck” district is provided by a three-storey district building at the school street’s southern exit. This is where a social station of the school and a centre for intercultural dialogue is located. Both facilities offer advisory services and language courses, also for residents, in a joint effort with Gelsenkirchen council. Regular district brunches and other events are held on the upper floor of the building, i. e. in the school’s parent café. The workshop building, the assembly hall and the functional rooms of the school are also available to the public for cultural events, leisure activities and educational purposes.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Construction start on the central school tract and the sports hall |
| 1998 | Inauguration of the school and start of school operation |
| 1998/99 | Planning and construction start for the first classroom tract |
| 2003 | Opening of the parent café in the district building |
| 2004 | Completion of the sixth and last “class building” |
Photography: Tina Hörmann
Photography: Tina Hörmann
Project of the architectural exhibition IBA Emscher Park, the NRW State programme “Districts with Particular Renewal Needs" (Stadtteile mit besonderem Erneuerungsbedarf) and the joint federal and state programme “Social City" (Soziale Stadt)
Photography: Tina Hörmann
Construction and operation of this school, based on an ambitious architectural concept that not only includes state-of-the-art ecological aspects, but also opens up to and is available to the district. The spaces, which were partly planned and converted with the involvement of children, parents and the teaching staff, hence serve the district as a cultural centre and public meeting place. The school ensemble has become a positive identification factor in a stigmatized district.
The project location can be directly translated into Google-maps. Project in Google-Maps
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 45889 - town: Gelsenkirchen - street: Laarstraße 41.
Record inserted on 28.10.2004 by Lehrstuhl für Planungstheorie und Stadtplanung, RWTH Aachen and updated by theFederal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR).
Last update: 24.02.2010
