ASP Schweger Assoziierte Gesamtplanung GmbH
Causer: Prof. Peter P. Schweger

The competition was looking for refurbishment and reorganization of the historic Saxon Archive building and the neighbouring office block, and a storage building as an extension. The old building, built 1912 - 15 is enhanced architecturally with a new main entrance and a festive foyer, appropriately to its importance (UNESCO: "one of the 100 most important archives in the world"). The previously open inner courtyard is reinterpreted as the catalogue hall. It is transformed into a roofed light-space, which means that the reduced area of outer façades also improves the building's energy balance. The compact, closed-looking new building adjacent to the office block is out of line with the streets axis and orientated to the building line in Erich-Ponto-Strasse. Its large rooms are arranged around a central core. On the outside it displays a climatically advantageous heavy brick façade in Roman bond with reminiscences of historic warehouses; it is equipped with a highly energy-efficient ventilation and air-conditioning system.