Stadtbad

Stadtbad Oderberger Strasse

The project demonstrates how architectural heritage can be reactivated without being frozen in time. A key feature is the movable floor system, which allows the swimming hall to adapt seamlessly to different programmatic and spatial conditions. This technical solution enables a high degree of flexibility, allowing the historic pool to operate as a fully functional contemporary space while preserving its original architectural identity.

During the day, the hall functions as a public swimming pool, maintaining its social role as a place of wellbeing, recreation, and collective use. At night, the same space is transformed into a unique event venue, capable of hosting cultural activities, performances, and private gatherings. This dual functionality is achieved without draining the pool, ensuring continuous use of the historic structure and minimizing operational disruption.

The intervention carefully balances preservation and transformation. Original architectural elements have been restored with precision, while contemporary additions are integrated in a restrained and reversible manner. This approach allows the building’s historical layers to remain legible, while introducing new uses that ensure its long-term relevance.

Today, the building accommodates a language school, a hotel, and event spaces, all within a strict framework of heritage conservation requirements. Now part of Hotel Oderberger, the former Armenbad stands as a strong example of adaptive reuse, where cultural memory, architectural preservation, and contemporary urban life coexist within a single, unified spatial experience.