SERVICE STATION LEUBINGER FÜRSTENHÜGEL Sömmerda

Architecture Prize of the Thuringian Chamber of Architects 2022 | Recognition

 

In cooperation with MONO Architekten, Berlin and MUS, Berlin

The “Leubinger Fürstenhügel”, the largest preserved Early Bronze Age burial mound in Central Europe, is clearly visible in the flat landscape of the Thuringian Basin, directly on the A 71 freeway. In the area of tension between 3500 year old archaeological monuments and modern infrastructure, a unique place of rest was created in an interdisciplinary interaction of landscape architecture, architecture and communication design. By interweaving pure functionality with the cultural history and striking landscape of the site, the type of service area was completely reinterpreted. As an IBA project, the service station is part of the International Building Exhibition Thuringia (IBA).

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DESIGN
The burial mound forms the defining theme of the design. Its staging through the architecture, diverse visual relationships and the development of the mound give the rest area a distinctive identity and set it apart from interchangeable transit sites.

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TIME TRAVEL
In keeping with the straight lines of the architecture, a 500-metre-long path leads up to the Leubinger Fürstenhügel and culminates in a circular platform. Bronze markings along the time travel path guide visitors and explain the unique cultural history of the site.

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TRANSITION
The view along the path opens up into the landscape of the Thuringian Basin. As a “window into the region”, connected to the regional network of paths, the rest area does not separate itself from the landscape, but gently merges into the surrounding fields and meadows.