KEEP COLM

KEEP COLM stands for architecture as an invitation rather than a display of power, as a possibility rather than a solution, and as a relationship rather than form. The project examines the responsibility of architecture and the potential of the existing building stock using the Siemens-Nixdorf building in Nuremberg-Röthenbach (1991) as an example.

The building is fragmented, restructured, and openly reorganized. Three zones with different levels of accessibility are created: a public city platform (basement to 1st floor), an educational stage (2nd–4th floors), and an open-air play and sports area (5th floor). Wide staircases, terraces, and planters enliven the interior, and the atrium is topped with a lightweight ETFE air-cushion roof. The golden assembly hall recalls the original building.

The school areas support hands-on, individualized learning across six thematic workshops. Open gathering points in natural light encourage communication. The façade provides transparency and emphasizes the contrast between old and new, while an external sunshade gives rhythm to the surface.

All interventions follow the principle of minimal subtraction: columns and beams are preserved, with only selected ceiling sections removed to improve daylight and air. Iconic windows from the original façade are reused. Overall, approximately 70 % of the original building elements are retained.