Built in the 1880s as a children's hospital, the Luise Fliedner House near Florence Nightingale Hospital has been thoughtfully adapted to serve the neighbouring Fliedner University of Applied Sciences. The architects at Gardenier Planung in Düsseldorf—selected after expert review to oversee the conversion—have carefully reimagined this protected landmark for contemporary academic use, welcoming 500 students into its walls.

The central challenge lay in respectfully treating the protected historic fabric while introducing barrier-free access throughout. An open courtyard to the west provided the perfect opportunity for a new stairwell tower housing an internal lift system. The contemporary glass mullion-and-transom façade creates a deliberate visual contrast with the original building, framing panoramic views of both the historic structure and the surrounding landscape. Individual floors connect to the existing structure via bridging elements, with former window openings ingeniously repurposed as passageways. Straight precast concrete stairways spiral around a square lift core, clad in brick to echo the historic façade. Inside, the architects embraced a defining principle: "Preserve all that is historical—make all that is new recognisable through its materiality and tactile quality." Existing brick walls were meticulously restored, salvageable windows were carefully refurbished, and those beyond repair were replaced with historically sensitive reproductions. The original structural frame required no reinforcement. The roof, however, had suffered years of careless modifications and needed intervention: additional steel bracing and reinforcement of the timber truss were essential to stabilise the roof and create office space for faculty in the upper gable storey. The main timber roof structure proved to be an unexpected treasure—once non-load-bearing partitions were removed, the original open framework revealed itself in all its character and was incorporated into the new "Luise Fliedner Hall." Here, framed by carefully positioned fenestration and a thoughtfully designed lighting scheme, the event space achieves an understated elegance that feels simultaneously minimal and celebratory.

www.gardenier-planung.de

Photography:
Frank Elschner
www.fotografie-elschner.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 03|21)