State Legislature in Mainz by a|sh architekten

For six years, members of the legislative assembly and cabinet members had to meet in temporary digs, for that is how long it took to renovate the historical building from 1740. In this project, the structure was nearly completely gutted and then refurbished with light-coloured materials, oak, glass and limestone. This is how a|sh architekten of Ludwigshafen have brought the Deutschhaus up to date in the form of a magnificent building that has not lost touch with the people.

The Deutschhaus takes its name from the Teutonic Order, also known as the German Order of Knights, for it was originally built for their Grand Master in the period from 1729 to 1740. The splendid main building, which stands directly by the Rhine, is flanked by two side structures which encompass a courtyard. In the Second World War, the complex was burnt to its exterior walls. In 1951, Rhineland-Palatinate’s first state legislative assembly moved in after six months of rebuilding work. Since then, members of the assembly have met in the venerable building which, with the passing of time, increasingly cried out for renovations and the redesign of the plenary hall.

A|sh architekten won the two-part, European-wide design competition with their guiding concept of creating a people-oriented building that should honour the historical existing structure, have a clear design and exude a certain openness. A new, symmetrical stairway and ramp system now invites citizens to ascend to the spacious entrance platform. Furthermore, this area also connects the state chancellery, which is located on one side of the complex, with the legislature’s new restaurant, which is on the other side.

Interstitial constructions of glass link the three parts of the building; they create openness and transparency. In contrast the clear, cuboid shape of the added building, which is home to the restaurant, seems like a deliberately placed end point that completes the ensemble in terms of urban development. For the façade, the architects selected the same red sandstone used for the historically protected pre-existing structure. However, the new stone differs from its historical antecedent in both hue and texture.

The plenary hall, the heart of the legislature, is found on the first upper level of the renovated Deutschhaus, as it was before the renovation. Its shape takes up that of its predecessor; however, the floor is now deeper. This creates spaciousness and a great degree of accessibility. The seats for the 101 members of the assembly are distributed over four rings arranged concentrically.

© Werner Huthmacher, Berlin

A new, horseshoe-shaped gallery for 111 visitors and the press offers a good view of the plenary hall. Light-coloured oak, natural stone and transparent glass work together to produce a new, contemporary interior life rounded out by state-of-the-art media technology that improves the acoustics in the hall and allows media reporting at the highest technical level.