Down to the middle of the 20th century, Wett-stetten was a village mainly of agricultural character with just over 800 inhabitants. In the past 60 years, that has changed radically. In particular, its proximity to the steadily expanding Audi automobile plant has meant that this municipality is much in demand as a place of residence, and today it has a population of 5,000. Growth inevitably took place on the outskirts, while the village-like structure at the centre remained unchanged. This expansion has led to a constant process of adjustment, however, which has also affected the administration. The town hall – a former school building dating from 1907 – was no longer able to meet the demands placed in it. Its spaces were too small, and there was no assembly hall for the local council. In view of the poor condition of the building and the low room heights, the only feasible solution was to create a new structure.
The precise function of the urban centre was discussed by the council together with the Eberhard von Angerer architectural practice, which was also responsible for organizing the design competition. The spatial programme was determined at this conference. In addition to the rooms for the council, which included an assembly hall, the existing multipurpose hall was to be complemented by a small civic hall for cultural events and the use of local societies. In addition, space was required for the care of outpatients suffering from dementia as well as for a crèche – in other words, care facilities for young and old beneath a single roof – a wonderful combination to my mind. Further principles that were determined were the integration of the development into the urban context and the adoption of local Jura forms of construction, which were formerly to be found here.
With this, the conditions for the architectural competition were laid down. Eight offices from the region were invited to participate and a further twelve were selected through a process of open application. With their small-scale design, consisting of three volumes of equal standing, the architects Bembé Dellinger submitted the most convincing solution. In contrast to many other participants, the architects had clearly made a close study of the topography and the shape of the site, as well as taking account of traditional local forms of construction. They have created a group of buildings that is sensitively inte-grated into the existing urban structure. In addition, the clear forms that were used and the language spoken by the materials accentuate the individual character of the development. (Hans Mödl)
The precise function of the urban centre was discussed by the council together with the Eberhard von Angerer architectural practice, which was also responsible for organizing the design competition. The spatial programme was determined at this conference. In addition to the rooms for the council, which included an assembly hall, the existing multipurpose hall was to be complemented by a small civic hall for cultural events and the use of local societies. In addition, space was required for the care of outpatients suffering from dementia as well as for a crèche – in other words, care facilities for young and old beneath a single roof – a wonderful combination to my mind. Further principles that were determined were the integration of the development into the urban context and the adoption of local Jura forms of construction, which were formerly to be found here.
With this, the conditions for the architectural competition were laid down. Eight offices from the region were invited to participate and a further twelve were selected through a process of open application. With their small-scale design, consisting of three volumes of equal standing, the architects Bembé Dellinger submitted the most convincing solution. In contrast to many other participants, the architects had clearly made a close study of the topography and the shape of the site, as well as taking account of traditional local forms of construction. They have created a group of buildings that is sensitively inte-grated into the existing urban structure. In addition, the clear forms that were used and the language spoken by the materials accentuate the individual character of the development. (Hans Mödl)