The uniqueness of the archaeological site in the Elisengarten park lies in its layering of different settlement structures (dating back some 5000 years) from various eras of Aachen city history. This extraordinary historical strata is mirrored in the concept of the pavilion’s shell: a conscientious aberration from the typical glass vitrines found within the urban context, its open stainless steel construction creates the necessary climatic mantle for the enclosed space. A public inter-zone is thus created, opening up to the surrounding gardens where one is invited to linger and contemplate the city’s history. The outside shell consists of two layers of diagonally overlapping stainless steel profiles. The transparent and reduced construction correlates not only to the building requirements of the excavation site but also to the climatic challenges of the site. It enables also an attentive integration of the building into one of the most popular parks in Aachen. The pavilion blends in with the row of archaeological windows and provides a further highlight to the “Charlemagne Route” in conveying visibility to the historic routes of the city of Aachen by means of a very specific constructional intervention.
Photo by Jens Kirchner.. Published on March 14, 2014.
Photo by Jörg Hempel.. Published on March 14, 2014.
Photo by Jens Kirchner.. Published on March 14, 2014.
Photo by Jörg Hempel.. Published on March 14, 2014.
Photo by Jens Kirchner.. Published on March 14, 2014.