Cultural centre operated by a civic trust
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
In 1890, a pumping station was erected on the bank of the Ruhr in Schwerte (pop. today 52,000), which served to supply the expanding city of Dortmund with water. The station was abandoned in 1924. Until 1976, it served as a workshop building and warehouse for pipes for the municipal utilities of Dortmund.
After this the area and buildings were used temporarily for more than 20 years. It was purchased by the City of Schwerte in 1990 with the aim of establishing a citizens’ and cultural centre.
Photography: Bürgerstiftung Rohrmeisterei
The renting of the pipe maintenance depot by two cultural associations (youth theatre and art association) was the start of a step-by-step development involving many stakeholders. At the beginning of the project, there was not enough capital for a complete redevelopment and conversion of the hall in line with preservation practice for listed buildings, and in accordance with a decision of the City Council, additional costs for the City of Schwerte were not permitted. This is why cultural events were held right from the start, even before the redevelopment of the building, in order to earn own investment funds. This also had the advantage that it was possible to demonstrate the flexibility and atmosphere of the listed hall to many visitors and to establish a broad support among the citizens. Events for all kinds of different user groups (exhibitions, flea market, dance theatre, concerts …) created a broadly based motivation for the redevelopment project and influenced the conversion concept.
In combination with a project for long-term unemployed people, the civic trust then converted the three-part hall with the financial support of the Federal state Nordrhein-Westphalia. Additionally, many planning and building services were performed by volunteers.
Finally in 2001, the intensive participation of the citizens was institutionalised by a civic trust. This trust took over the building with its surroundings in heritable building right and is the builder and operator of the centre and the gastronomy located in hall 1. Today, the cultural centre, which offers around 300 events per year, finances itself completely with the revenues from the gastronomy, without subsidies. The revenues generated by the bistro and the restaurant - currently approx. 250,000 € per year - flow directly into culture thanks to lean structures. Hall 2 became the main entrance and foyer. The multi-functional event room with 600 seats in the third part of the hall is also available for larger events.
The hall is located on the urban fringe, i.e. at the transition to green space and the river, on a well-developed area. Since spring 2003, a canoe tour operator has been based here. The area is also connected to the Ruhr hiking trail. The popular route is especially frequented in summer by walkers, inline skaters, cyclists and anglers. The nearby recreational area on the Ruhr is connected to the old town of Schwerte via the area of the pipe maintenance depot. In future, the pipe maintenance depot wants to actively incorporate its prominent location directly on the Ruhr into the urban planning and newly design the existing wasteland area as a “citizens’ park”.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1890 | Building of the hall as a pumping station |
| 1926 to 1976 | Utilisation of the factory building of the municipal utilities Dortmund |
| 1990 | Status as listed building |
| Since 2000 | Used for events |
| 2001 | Founding a civic trust for support and operation |
| 2002 | Start of construction work |
| 2003 | Completion of conversion |
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
Photography: Bürgerstiftung Rohrmeisterei
Awarded the “Robert Jungk Prize” 2001 of the City Network NRW
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
With the conversion of the pipe maintenance depot it was possible to emphasise new cultural, urban development and citizens’ aspects and to preserve a monument important for industrial history for contemporary use.
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 58239 - town: Schwerte - street: Ruhrstraße 20.
Record inserted on 01.07.2004 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: 13.02.2009
