This small pumping station at the centre of the West Park in Bochum – formerly the location of a steelworks – is situated immediately behind the Centenary Hall, which was rehabilitated in 2003. Whereas the latter was able to establish itself as a venue for the Ruhr Triennial in addition to other concerts and trade fairs, the pumping station seemed threatened with demolition after its closure a few years ago. The urgent need for a kitchen and canteen to cater for performers in the Centenary Hall, however, finally aroused an interest in the abandoned building.
In response to this, the architects developed a concept in which, in addition to gastronomic facilities, space was provided for a West Park visitor centre. To allow an independent operation of the two areas, the sanitary facilities were set as a dividing element across the width of the column-free internal space.
The construction of the pumping station, consisting of a steel framework with areas of brick infill, did not meet modern requirements in terms of thermal insulation. But particularly at those points where the steel-grid columns occur, an internal layer of insulation would scarcely have been possible without destroying the attractive industrial character of the open hall articulated by its filigree roof trusses with their untreated surfaces. Instead, the external appearance of the structure has been radically changed. A new outer skin assumes the functions of thermal and weather protection, while the existing substance remains intact beneath it. Damage caused by corrosion, which was heavy in some places, was eliminated for structural reasons.
In response to this, the architects developed a concept in which, in addition to gastronomic facilities, space was provided for a West Park visitor centre. To allow an independent operation of the two areas, the sanitary facilities were set as a dividing element across the width of the column-free internal space.
The construction of the pumping station, consisting of a steel framework with areas of brick infill, did not meet modern requirements in terms of thermal insulation. But particularly at those points where the steel-grid columns occur, an internal layer of insulation would scarcely have been possible without destroying the attractive industrial character of the open hall articulated by its filigree roof trusses with their untreated surfaces. Instead, the external appearance of the structure has been radically changed. A new outer skin assumes the functions of thermal and weather protection, while the existing substance remains intact beneath it. Damage caused by corrosion, which was heavy in some places, was eliminated for structural reasons.