Three rooms August-Everding Cultural Centre Bottrop

The August-Everding Cultural Centre in Bottrop has been located in a former boys' grammar school from the Gründerzeit since 1991. With the decision to realign the municipal cultural forum and to supplement it with an extension, the rear and less attractive entrance to the cultural centre on the former schoolyard is considerably upgraded. Böll Architekten designed a self-contained structural ensemble. It captivates by lightness and offers with the outdoor facilities newly designed by the planner group a high quality of stay and a variety of uses.

Through the new zoning, the spaces become clearly readable, the routing becomes unambiguous. The public space can be used as a place to stay and for events, and the cultural aspect can be experienced.

Enhancing the climate
The existing plane trees represent a great design and urban climate potential, and will be preserved.
The courtyard of the cultural center, which was formerly almost completely sealed and used as a

parking lot, was partially unsealed and divided by planted areas. For the remaining paved areas, an ecological paving stone was used that drains rainwater through the joints. Depending on the intensity of use, the joints are wide and openly filled with chippings, greened or tightly filled with sand as a classic paving joint. Partial areas were completely unsealed with intensive perennial plantings.

Three spaces
The public space around the cultural center is divided into three spaces with different qualities. All three spaces are oriented towards the new entrance building. The forecourt mediates between the different pathways.

The cultural courtyard is formed by the structural extension of the cultural centre. A fully enclosed courtyard provides space for events and temporary art installations. The protected courtyard is shared from the foyer for festivals and serves as a reading garden for the public library.

A lawn area is used for events with children, perennial beds bordered with seating walls create a pleasant quality of stay. The courtyard is accessible from all directions, but can be separated as needed.

The service yard serves the functional needs of the cultural operation with material and waste containers as well as bicycle safes. It is separated from the cultural courtyard by a wooden wall panel.

The sculpture garden was redesigned into a generous prelude to the cultural centre. A flat, tree-covered staircase leads to the slightly elevated forecourt. The terraced areas alternate between lawns and water-bound path surfaces. The existing trees are integrated and supplemented by new plantings. The slightly ascending path to the south serves as barrier-free access. The sculpture garden serves as the "creative zone" of the cultural centre. There is space for permanent art objects, urban gardening and boules.