GMP Architekten renovate hyperbolic 1960s hall in Magdeburg

Architecture studio GMP Architekten has completed the renovation of the post-war Hyparschale hall in Magdeburg, Germany.

The studio aimed to revitalise the distinctive structure, which was originally designed by Ulrich Müther in the late 1960s, after it been abandoned for 20 years.

GMP Architekten renovated the building so that it could reopen as a  multifunctional venue for events and exhibitions – officially opening last month.

Composed of four hyperbolic paraboloids arranged in a square, the building is one of the numerous shell-roofed structures designed by Müther across Germany.

Set alongside the Elbe River within a large park, the structure is the largest of Müther's structure's remaining after several demolitions and itself was only saved as it was listed as a historic monument in 1998.

The studio was commissioned by the Magdeburg authorise to revitalise the building and give it a public use.

It repaired the parabolic roof using carbon-fibre reinforced concrete to both restore and strengthen the existing structure.

On the building's exterior, the rhythmically lined fins were renewed, while its translucent glazed openings were replaced with transparent glass to provide views towards the local park.

Additionally, roof lights running between the four shells – that had been previously closed up due to leakages – were reopened to draw light into the interior.

Inside, the structure features a spacious, column-free layout enabled by the innovative roof structure that reaches 12-metres at its centre and curves upwards to reach nearly 16-metres at each corner.

Here, GMP Architekten inserted four 15-metre-square cubes that function as  smaller spaces for hosting events, exhibitions and seminars.

To echo the building's original design, the new internal structures were built from steel and are organised in alignment with the square grid layout designed by Müther.

Connecting the structures are a network of raised bridges that provide circulation across the upper floor, while partitions divide the ground floor spaces.

Previous works completed by GMP Architekten include the Wuyuanhe Stadium shaded by louvres and a mebrane roof in China and the renovation of Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabé stadium in Spain.

Elsewhere in Germany, Aretz Dürr Architektur has completed an "extremely simple" timber warehouse and designer Yinka Ilori has designed a mirrored pavilion for self-reflection.

The photography is by Marcus Bredt unless otherwise stated.

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