Mühlberg (Elbe)
2022-
Christian Cotting
Caterina Ricci
und Jurek Brüggen
Inside, the building will be gutted, with the collapsed ceiling slabs and roof carefully removed. Dilapidated outbuildings on the property, deemed beyond salvage, will also be demolished. Structural elements of the ground floor, such as a bracing steel frame, will be preserved where possible to maintain the integrity of the remaining walls. The exterior walls, particularly vulnerable to horizontal forces, will be fortified by a ring anchor and new exterior wall sections on the south façade. These supports will function like Gothic buttresses, transferring lateral forces and stabilizing the structure.
The heart of the project is the interior transformation of the former seed warehouse into a verdant, protected urban garden. Open to the sky and surrounded by the preserved walls, this city garden will offer a unique space where nature and architecture converge.
This central garden will be more than a visual centerpiece—it will serve as a communal area where residents can gather, children can play, and small events can take place. Designed to be accessible to both the building’s occupants and the wider community of Mühlberg, the garden will transform the former warehouse into a hub of activity and interaction. By blending historical preservation, ecological sensitivity, and modern utility, the project exemplifies how architectural ingenuity can breathe new life into endangered structures while fostering sustainability and community.