Formerly an inn designed in the English Tudor Revival Style, this property opened to guests in 1929 with its dining hall hosting big dance bands. Key components of the development vision were incorporating restoration and repurposing the dining hall for community space and integrating the iconic building into the master plan in its original prominent location.

Schalthaus served as the former power-generating facility for the Dortmund-Hörde blast furnaces for over 100 years. We were sensitive to preserving the character of the building and re-establishing these iconic structures within a newly established contemporary context, as part of a technological research district. To this end, POPOVICH developed a sustainable program of repurposing and preserving this heritage building for new life, evolving into a new workplace where startups and makers could establish a presence. Adapting to an emerging era of entrepreneurs supporting the region’s shift to high technology industries while retaining the historical features of the Schalthaus, was key.

The once roaring blast furnaces — formerly part of Dortmund’s industrialization era  — were silenced as the coal and steel industries in Europe subsided in the latter part of the 20th century. Our role envisioned a future transformative life for this regionally significant heritage structure. Integrating research and development facilities with the existing industrial form provided challenges; however, we discovered the opportunities stemming from the constraints made for a far greater outcome.