海角视频

RAW Potsdam

Potsdam, Germany

The oldest surviving building from the Reichsbahn railway period is to be transformed into a campus of innovation for virtual reality, culture and education.

The 19th century locomotive repair hall will be joined by two new complementary buildings, at the centre of plans to help regenerate a redundant building and create an innovation-focused urban quarter beside Potsdam鈥檚 main railway station.

The building has lain empty since the fall of the Berlin Wall, only occasionally being occupied for informal raves. Consequently, the fabric of the structure has suffered significant decay over the past three decades.

The 19th century locomotive repair hall will be restored as part of an innovation-focused urban quarter beside Potsdam鈥檚 main railway station.

One of the key challenges was the repair and refurbishment of the historic fabric 鈥� both to the brickwork facade and the steel structure, much of which was heavily corroded.

A series of free-standing new-build elements could then be constructed within.

We commissioned bespoke localised weather pattern predictions for loading models. This process allowed the snow load assumptions to be reduced by around 25%.

Challenge

The area offers great potential for the development of an important location for digital transformation and cooperation between technology business and science enterprises, with space for both market leaders and start-ups. The site will be developed into an innovative technology hub for research, teaching and business services.

The existing repair hall will be restored and extended to form a campus with 铿俥xible offices, generous common areas and other facilities required for the vitality of an innovative technology and research location. Two new buildings complete the ensemble with further office spaces, retail and fitness areas, as well as a new two-storey basement for car parking and building services plant rooms.

海角视频鈥檚 structural engineers are working closely with architect J. Mayer H., to deliver structural engineering consultancy 鈥� initially, up to schematic design, for the whole site including the new-build elements, and then for the detailed design phase, focusing solely on the structural challenges presented by the refurbishment of the historic locomotive repair hall, which dates back to the late 19th century, and the design of the new built 鈥渉ouse in house鈥� elements within the existing hall.

One of the key challenges was the repair and restoration of the historic fabric 鈥� both to the brickwork facade and the steel structure, much of which was heavily corroded. The restoration of the existing walls and replacement of the repair hall roof needed to be developed within the strict confines of the listing building regulations. A series of free-standing new-build elements could then be constructed within.

Our team conducted a detailed assessment of the current building and built up a deep understanding of the existing structural systems. Industrial buildings from the period were designed in an efficient way, with slender trusses supporting a lightweight roof. This can create challenges when meeting 21st century regulations around snow and wind loads.

A balance needed to be created between adding levels of insulation that help to transform the interiors from an industrial to a creative space, while minimising additional weight on the structure and proving the structural system鈥檚 capacity to bear extra weight, particularly within the scope of potential snow and wind loads.

Another key challenge was to work closely with the building services engineers (MEP) to ensure systems were able to coordinate elegantly with both the existing and new structures.

Solution

The historic fabric of the existing building will be fully restored, to create a weather-tight facade within which a series of new structures will be built. This 鈥渂uilding within a building鈥� solution minimises unnecessary interventions in the historic structure of the building envelope, while maintaining structurally separate load parcels and delivering a series of comfortable and modern workspaces.

Our structural engineers were able to deliver detailed consultancy around the design for the refurbishment of the existing (listed) roof, ensuring that its historic fabric was kept, while also delivering improved insulation. This had to fit within the modern regulations around snow and wind loads, while minimising the weight of the overall structure.

To support this, we worked with specialist meteorological consultants to deliver bespoke localised weather pattern predictions and snow and wind loading models. These were able to demonstrate that the centre of Potsdam receives less significant snow falls than the surrounding region 鈥� proving that a more lightweight structure would be capable of withstanding expected weather. This process allowed the snow load assumptions to be reduced by around 25%.

The new-build structures within the repair hall are designed to be constructed along modular principles in reinforced precast concrete elements. As well as generating a series of separate office spaces, the new structural interventions will also deliver a series of public spaces, including a lecture theatre and a cafe area.

Value

The historic building, which has lain empty since the fall of the Berlin Wall, is being restored and reimagined to enable a new wave of technology-based business in the town, helping to drive growth in the local economy.

Our expert structural engineering team has played a key role in helping to realise the architectural vision for the site, as well as supporting with the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders and collaborators.