"Am Hirschgarten" parking garage marks the new entrance to Erfurts Old Town With identity, light and character

The surrounding architecture posed significant challenges for the design process: “The biggest challenge was handling the scale with care: this is where a row of twelve-story prefabricated apartment buildings, historic old-town houses and a heavy-traffic area meet. On top of that, there were topographical differences and strict fire safety regulations,” reports Ottmar Stadermann. “That is precisely why the calm, uniform facade design of the hotel including its base and the parking garage was so important to us. It creates balance within the visual tension.” The parking garage has 15 levels with a total of 548 parking spaces, including 32 charging stations for electric vehicles. Thanks to its central location on the edge of the city center, the cathedral square and Erfurt’s popular promenade, the Anger, are within easy walking distance.

A skillful interplay of light and shadow

The vertically structured, undulating facade of the parking garage is the architectural highlight. Their nose-shaped slats, which vary in size, create a dynamic appearance that is far removed from any sense of hustle and bustle, visually breaking up the large structure and counteracting its massiveness. The colorful structure was part of the architectural concept from the very beginning, not just decoration. “The gently graduated shades of the vertical slats react subtly to the daylight. In the morning light, they appear almost silvery; in the evening, warm and soft. This adaptability was intentional; it allows the building to ‘breathe’. The subtly glossy, powder-coated surface enhances the sense of depth and makes the metal curtain appear light. For me, color means movement. Here, it becomes a means of expressing vitality,” Stadermann affirms.

Since the highest level of design precision was required, Brillux was the only option for the architect. Through close consultation with the Brillux Color Studio, ten shades – ranging from the lightest to the darkest – were specifically tailored to the facade and formulated to achieve the perfect visual effect. The team at Brillux Industrial Coatings then precisely replicated the individual shades for the desired powder coating product. The powder coating combines technical durability with a soft, subtly glossy feel. “It was crucial that color here wasn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of the architecture – and Brillux made it possible for us to achieve this vision down to the last detail.”This established the design framework within which a clear solution to the functional requirements also had to be found. The folded aluminum profiles – also referred to internally as “noses” based on their cross-sectional shape – presented a unique technical challenge for the contractor dbo-GmbH in Bitterfeld.

The components had to be coated on both sides and featured complex internal angles. Added to this was the expectation that surfaces be absolutely reproducible for the twelve precisely defined color gradations. The final design for the facade is impressive both functionally and aesthetically. One detail is particularly close to Ottmar Stadermann’s heart: the 140-meter-long “city showcase” on the ground floor. As a transparent space, it is intended to showcase Erfurt’s history, culture and future. The longest art exhibition of the state of Thüringia was presented there at the opening. More than 140 creative minds from the art school IMAGO Kunstschule e.V. – ranging from preschoolers to adults – created their own personal interpretations of the Krämerbrücke, the landmark of the city of Erfurt, under the title “Momenta pontis,” which means “Moments of the Bridge”: delicate, colorful, surprising and full of life. “In the evening, when the facade shimmers in soft light and the glass surfaces of the showcase glow, the city and the building merge into a single image. That was exactly the idea of urbanity with soul.”