eins:eins: multifunction centre

German architecture studio eins:eins has recently completed a multifunction centre — the Centre for Speech and Movement — in Hamburg. The centre seeks to facilitate a series of activities involving physical motion, as a catalyst for the process of language acquisition. "By activating motoric centers of the brain," the architects remark, "speech acquisition and language acquisition is facilitated."

Considering the building's location next to a park, the architects determined a fundamentally horizontal building, with proportions that contrast with the vertical lines of surrounding trees. The façade is clad in one hundred year-old bricks, and wide openings feature large glass windows, which mirror the surroundings and at night, allow for ample views of the colourful interior.

The building's dynamic interior opens up with a central stairway, which connects all areas of the building, while simultaneously serving as a tribune in the foyer, and opening up a window over the gymnasium. The stairway's conic void directs visitor's gazes upwards, allowing for perception of strong colours and contrasts throughout the space. From the staircase, seminar and movement rooms in the first floor can be accessed. Here, again, the integration of exterior and interior is apparent. "The large window fronts integrate the width of the adjacent park into the building," state the architects.

eins:eins: Centre for Speech and Movement
Architects: eins:eins Architekten
Program: multifunction centre with gymnasium
Completion: 2013
Location: Hamburg
Client: GWG Gewerbe
Structural engineering: Imagine Structure GmbH
Building Services: Ebert-Ingenieure GmbH