Dönberg's Protestant community centre in north Wuppertal faced mounting challenges: ageing infrastructure, inadequate emergency exits, and a complete lack of accessibility for people with disabilities. The cramped interior spaces couldn't accommodate the vibrant community life the parish had cultivated. Enter Wuppertal-based architects insa4 rosenkaymer architekten, tasked with a comprehensive renovation and expansion of this 1964 building. The result: a reimagined neighbourhood centre that welcomes all residents—regardless of faith, background, or heritage—as an inclusive, multi-purpose gathering space for the entire district.

Positioned on Höhenstraße directly across from the historic hall church—a mid-19th-century landmark that still anchors Dönberg's village core—the centre comprises two single-storey brick structures from the 1960s. A broad, compact building is flanked by a slender, elongated wing that originally created a partially covered courtyard. Removing this roofing opened the canvas for a striking 120 m² extension: a post-and-beam structure capped by a monopitch roof houses an accessible assembly hall with a flexible, divisible entrance zone. Floor-to-ceiling glazing dissolves the boundary between interior and the church square beyond—accessed step-free. The extension's street and roofline presence is unmistakable, wrapped in weathered Corten steel panels punctuated by irregular perforations. These cutouts create an ethereal façade interplay at dusk, welcoming visitors while harmonizing with the existing brick's warm palette, yet distinctly marking the new from the old. Parallel renovations brought the existing building into the 21st century: updated escape routes and fire systems, expanded library spaces, modernized sanitary facilities including accessible restrooms, and a hybrid air-source heat pump system for energy efficiency.

www.architektur-insa4.de

Photography Credits:

Uwe Stratmann
www.uwestratmann.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf, Issue 04|22)