PROJECTS / HOLZSILO
From Grain Silo to Loft Offices - The Evolution of Industrial Heritage
The conversion and refurbishment of a listed former grain silo on the Plange Mühle Campus in Düsseldorf into a six-story loft building with new work environments have been completed by ingenhoven architects. Ingenhoven has transformed the wooden silo, built in 1906, into a modern loft building for new working environments, now serving commercial uses in the fashion and media industries. The renovation work on the neighboring concrete silo is expected to be completed by 2020.
The wooden silo was preserved almost entirely in its industrial components and reflects, in its exterior and interior appearance, the character of industrial culture with clear references to classical modernism, offering an exciting combination of old and new. By removing the original silo cells and adding floor levels, the building has significantly gained usable space. The preservation and revitalization of the listed Plange Mühle Campus are particularly important from a sustainable urban and architectural heritage perspective: thanks to the new use of flexible workspaces and gastronomic facilities, the development of the campus as a creative hub has been further strengthened, integrating it into the social fabric of the Medienhafen district.
The exterior appearance of the wooden silo is characterized by the interplay between brick and plaster surfaces. The brick base highlights the area of the former silo cells, marked by almost building-high arched windows. The project focused on the preservation and restoration of the original facade, lattice windows, existing walls, bridge, arches, and tower, in close collaboration with heritage preservation authorities. Inside the old brick building, the silo cells were made of wood, indicated on the exterior by round plate anchors. The interior of the silo, the roof, and the plaster surfaces were carefully deconstructed. The “gaps” in the facade, which contain shrapnel marks from World War II, bear witness to the passage of time. The eastern twin-tower front was originally complemented by a tower-like addition in the west. However, the additions were reconstructed in plain, cubic brick forms after World War II. The silo building also includes a ship elevator, which was rebuilt in its original location in 1949 as a tower-shaped brick structure.
In the early 20th century, the Plange Mühle in Düsseldorf’s harbor produced the region’s most well-known household flour: Diamant-Mehl. Ten years after the Hamburg-based company Georg Plange was founded, the second steam mill of the company was built in Düsseldorf in 1906. The branch was designed for 120 employees and produced exclusively wheat flour with 38 wheat mills. The five-part building ensemble, consisting of a main building with an eagle-adorned tower, two grain silos, workshops, and the head miller’s house, was significantly altered by World War II, post-war reconstruction, and ongoing modifications to adapt to production needs. Nevertheless, some building parts, such as the wooden and concrete silos, the tower, the workshops, and the former stable building with the head miller’s residence, retain their original structure. Today, the entire ensemble is a listed heritage site. The so-called wooden silo, named after the wooden storage chambers inside the brick building, was constructed in 1906. In 1929, the cylindrical concrete silos in a simple cubic form were added.
Data
Construction Start 2014
Completion 2016
Client harbour properties
GFA 5650 m²
Credits
Structure Schüßler-Plan
Fire Protection BPK
Lighting Design Tropp Lighting Design
Building Physics, Structural Design, Facade Desig DS-Plan
Awards
2017
Fritz-Höger-Preis für Backstein-Architektur
Special Mention; Kategorie: Bestes Sanierungsprojekt
ABB Leaf Awards, shortlisted BDA Auszeichnung guter Bauten