Ansicht mit gemauertem Dach

NATURAL STONE AWARD

The Hambach Castle visitor centre is given a special mention in the 2018 German Natural Stone Award.

Jury statement:
Hambach Castle has a special significance in German history, and, after renovation, has been supplemented by an additional visitor centre, situated below the castle. The building references the outer ring wall in its simplicity and its slightly curved, basic geometrical ground plan. With its archetypal two-storey typology and sloping roof it subordinates to the castle structure. Despite the fact that its functionality as an ancillary building is clearly expressed, the centre has a powerful and unmissable presence as a result of its monolithic appearance, thus fulfilling its function as a focal point for visitors to the castle grounds. The natural stone, locally quarried Leistädter sandstone, already used in the historical buildings, clads the wall and roof, thus anchoring the building locally as a natural building element within the whole complex. The solid brick façade and its surface treatment, the joints and the details in the transition from wall to roof underline the effect as a monolithic, seemingly timeless and significant building. The symbiosis of form and material is accomplished and commensurate with the whole complex and its significance.