In the category Commercial and Industrial Buildings, the office mehr* architekten from Kirchheim unter Teck (D) won gold with their “Brewery Hall Kirchheim unter Teck”.
The yearly run, German-based “Best Architects Award” selected 8 projects to receive gold, including the Brewery Hall Kirchheim unter Teck project by German firm Mehr* Architekten for the brewery hall for the start-up Braurevolution.
According to the jury, the finer details of the project are equally convincing, such as the production and storage facilities. In an exemplary manner, the building echoes the features of major industrial buildings.
The brewery is being built on the long side of a plot on which there are already several utility and residential buildings, as explained by the architects. The elongated structure closes off the existing courtyard to the north and leaves space for a small beer garden facing the street. The context of the surrounding mixed commercial area provides an industrial architectural language and invites inspiration from Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographic works of old industrial buildings.
As the founders of the firm—David Brodbeck, Jens Rössler and Florian van het Hekke founded—are most proud of their conceptual approach, which involves the meticulous analysis of culture, history and context in order to find a specific solution for the location and task; it’s not a surprise they’d take inspiration from the above-mentioned works. The three came together under one roof with the idea of merging experiences and professions into a think tank. The brewery project exemplifies their combined efforts.
The simple volume of the brewery with a gable roof is given its distinctive character by an attached light band above the ridge, creating an iconic roof form on the gable walls. By raising them and changing the material to exposed concrete, these become clearly legible front and back sides, between which the steel structure clad in Profilit glazing spans. The two openings on the east side, reduced to a circle and a rectangle, mark the entrance, which thus does justice to the traditional use of a brewery with a taproom and warehouse sales.
The architectural image of the new brewery hall is a kind of showroom. One sees, hears, smells and tastes the production of the beer varieties, the storage of malt and hops, the act of brewing in the kettles up to the tasting on site. A set structure will house the cold storage and ancillary rooms. This can be dismantled in case of a possible other subsequent use. The open counter is located in the large main room, where visitors can take a seat between brewing kettles and storage tanks. The atmosphere of the hall is industrial, its structure rationally rhythmic, the layout symmetrical. The entrance area offers a bar area for tasting and sales, which will also be used for brewing seminars and festivities.
Documentation of the Award: Best Architects 23 Awards
A lavishly produced publication celebrating the «best architects 23 award» will be available in the autumn of 2022 via specialist bookstores. All the award-winning projects will be extensively documented across two double-page spreads along with plans and numerous photos in the bilingual (German/English) publication. The yearbook has become established as a reference work for contemporary architecture and is published by the in-house publishing company (zinnobergruen Verlag).
About the Best Architects Award
The «best architects award» is a prestigious distinction for architecture and a barometer of the latest developments in the top segment of the field. The award is widely recognized as a seal of quality for outstanding architectural achievements, positioning the award-winners at the forefront of the international architecture scene. The award is conferred each year on completed architecture projects that are distinguished by outstanding architectural quality. An independent jury of prominent architects awards the «best architects» label and the «best architects in gold» label for exceptional quality.
Due to the constantly increasing number of participants and the exceptionally high standard of submissions, the award has become a significant event in the world of architecture. The award, and the lavish publication that documents all the award-winning projects in depth, offer potential developers guidance and contribute to the dialogue concerning architectural culture. The award also allows award-winning architects and/or architectural firms to stand out in the marketplace and to position themselves at the forefront of the international architectural scene.
