Renovation and conversion of Werkhalle 3

The so-called “Werkhalle 3” (“Workshop 3”) is one of the oldest buildings on the site of the railroad repair plant, which was built between 1912 and 1918 in Munich-Neuaubing. It is a reinforced concrete building clad with bricks, which was put into operation in 1906 as a carriage repair workshop and continued to be used up until the early 2000s. Werkhalle 3 has a floor area of around 11,000 square metres, making it the second largest of the historical halls. The existing floor area of the structure, which is up to 11.5 metres high in places, has been expanded by more than 2000 square metres by installing galleries. As part of the conversion into office and commercial units, the architects responsible for the renovation – Fischer + Steiger u. Partner Architekten mbB, Munich – arranged the structures into four independent areas, which are connected to one another by an inner courtyard. The exposed brick façade was retained during the renovation, as were the characteristic arched-head windows.

“The renovation of these historical halls required all of our flexibility and creativity,” said Heinz Fischer, from architectural practice Fischer + Steiger u. Partner Architekten mbB, Munich. “One challenge in particular was combining sensible structural and technically contemporary solutions with the heritage protection requirements.” Due to the structure's listed building status, the single-glazed steel profiles of the large industrial glazing were repaired wherever possible, and a thermal window layer was added on the inside. For the reconstruction of the missing windows, the architects opted for Janisol Arte 2.0 from Schüco Jansen Steel Systems. Extremely narrow face widths and excellent performance values characterise the thermally broken steel system. By using narrow steel glazing bars, it was possible to construct the new steel-framed windows with triple insulating glazing in the desired slimline look.

Following the renovation, the turn-of-the-century industrial architecture now conceals state-of-the-art technology. Heat is supplied via district heating from a nearby geothermal plant. New internal thermal insulation as well as the installation of an additional layer of insulating glass on the inside help to make sure that the valuable, historical fabric of the building can be used in an energy-efficient way. The project is an excellent example of the potential that lies in the conversion of existing properties: with comparatively low CO2 emissions, the construction has gained another life cycle. Together with the future-proof concept of use, it has been possible to increase the value of the property and preserve a piece of railroad history for the future.