New façade for Ostsee Zeitung newspaper publishing house in Rostock / Germany

The Ostsee Zeitung newspaper publishing house in Rostock has been built in the 60s. Therefore, its style reflects the architectural understanding of this era and characterises the image of the adjacent urban space. The building, i.e. in particular the gable wall towards the main street does no longer correspond to the high-level urban context. Moreover, the Ostsee Zeitung newspaper publishing house is not a solitaire building, such as the Municipal Theatre in those days, i.e. it does not round off the space towards the adjacent square.

Task and design
The façade is characterised by the structure of the upper storeys. Its uniformness which is predetermined by the modular design is a challenging aspect for the rehabilitation of the façade. The concept not only provides a connection of the publishing house building and public space, but also fills in the undeveloped corner. Three slabs, the height of which corresponds to the exact height of the building, have been shaped to resemble an open newspaper. They provide new sights and create a connection between the main entrance and the distinctly shaped façade. The building's gable wall consists of four superposed glass cubes. The affinity to opened and closed drawers in the context of the different headings of a newspaper has been chosen quite deliberately.
The rehabilitation of the façade concentrates on existing elements and completes them by using a new element taken from classical styles. The perceived rhythmic stimulus of the façade triggered by the full height of the slabs is strongly fostered by its formal language.
With its rehabilitated façade, the important regional and supraregional role of the Ostsee Zeitung newspaper publishing house will be emphasised, thus making it an urban flagship.