The former ‘St. Vincenz hospital’ is situated in the medieval town centre of Paderborn
next to the western tributary of the Pader Springs. The hospital moved out in 2013
and the existing complex has been converted into a new headquarter for a family-run
company designed by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin.
The existing ensemble originates from a former seventeenth century Capuchin
monastery. The buildings, which were used as a hospital from 1841 onwards, were
severely damaged during the Second World War. Subsequently, the complex
underwent several changes and extensions through reconstruction and later
modifications. The conversion for the Jacoby Studios involved the removal of the
post-war additions, exposing the historic building fabric of the monastery once
again. In particular, the chapel façade, the cloister, the east building wing and the
seventeenth century cellar were preserved and restored, creating a picturesque ruin
structure made of quarry-stone masonry with the former cloister at its heart. The
complex of monastery and annexes is embedded into a garden designed by Wirtz
International.
"Rooted in an appreciation of its complex historical context, the Jacoby studios create
a new urbanistic whole out of fragments. The project combines a wide range of the
practice’s experience – reinterpreting historic buildings, combining the old with the new, balancing landscape and building – to provide a comfortable and stimulating workplace. Thanks to a highly engaged and committed client, it has been a very enjoyable process and has become an emblematic project for us."David Chipperfield, Founder / Design Principal David Chipperfield Architects
New extension wings, ranging from two to three-storeys, are arranged in accordance
with the orthogonal structure to the north, west and south of the original buildings.
Through the historic entrance gate and the former chapel, visitors access the
entrance foyer.
"The baroque walls of the monastery, which up until now were hidden within the rebuilt hospital of the Vincentian Sisters, have been cut out during almost sculptural demolition works. The ruins, both found and invented, form the picturesque and structural nucleus of the design, appreciating the particularly scenic character of the inner-city situation of the Pader springs. The new, tectonic volumes adopt the orthogonal geometric order of the ruinous cloister, creating a structure that appears as a complex three-dimensional composition within the urban surroundings, similar to a monastery. It connects the historical traces and fabric of the old town with the typical post-war modernism idea of the urban landscape and forms a new architecture from it, in which both the sensual and structural aspects are immediately apparent."
Alexander Schwarz, Partner and Design director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
Echoing the historic situation, the ensemble appears once again in the cityscape as
a well-balanced composition of different volumes. In the urban landscape of the
Pader Springs, the new complex has its own sense of identity, while maintaining
historic continuity.
"Rediscovering the monastery buildings inside the hospital complex, which were originally believed to be lost, gave us the unique opportunity of linking the new building to the appealing ruin structure. Historic and new structures combine to form a whole and carefully continue the urban development of the medieval town centre of Paderborn."
Frithjof Kahl, Associate and Project architect David Chipperfield Architects
