When excavators rolled in during 2019, the façade of the "Old Vicarage" stood forlorn—soon to be overshadowed by a striking new structure that would define the area's urban character. Yet according to architect Raimund Hölscher, this historic façade became essential to the design of the "New and Old Vicarage" complex, completed by spring 2021. Today, the beautifully restored façade—with its luminous stucco detailing—gleams anew, seamlessly integrated into the new building complex. Its contemporary brick slip façade, rhythmic and inviting, was conceived by Heiligenhaus-based Studio Hölscher and complements the heritage structure with understated elegance.

Accessibility runs through this project in multiple dimensions. Built to DIN 18040 standards (barrier-free construction), the complex embodies the philosophy of its primary tenant, Pro Mobil. The organization operates a modern, largely wheelchair-accessible hotel and an inclusive childcare facility here, along with accessible office space for its administrative operations serving people with disabilities. The building's integration with its surroundings is equally thoughtful. Positioned along a traffic-calmed route leading to the city center and connecting to the Bochum University of Applied Sciences' satellite campus, it anchors the city's vision for enhanced public spaces along this academic corridor. A new public plaza will eventually activate the adjacent site. This strategic vision shaped the design: the inner courtyard opens toward the south, accessed via Am Alten Pastorat street, and the curved façade gestures toward the visual connection between downtown and campus. "This curvature opens the courtyard toward that sightline while creating a welcoming entrance," notes Hölscher. The L-shaped addition adjoins the restored Old Vicarage, rebuilt on its original footprint. The contrast is intentional—form and material distinguish the new from the historic. From the street, they read as two separate buildings; in the courtyard, they merge through the continuous brick slip façade and ribbon windows. The brick slips themselves shift in color with changing light and weather, creating visual dynamism. Their distinctive format reinforces the horizontal rhythm of the window bands, which echo the façade's overall color scheme.

www.studio-hoelscher.de

Photography Credits:

Philip Kistner
www.philipkistner.com

(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 04|22)