Die Eiche
Architecture of the encounter
The historic granary “Die Eiche” in Lübeck, built in 1873 by Senator Thomas Johann Heinrich Mann, the father of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann, is located on Lübeck’s old town island at the Hansa harbour. It is the Mann family’s last remaining granary. The fully listed building, which was once used to store grain, is now used as a columbarium, an “indoor burial place”.
Cooperation with depth
Creating a place of reflection. In the midst of the dead – with space for conversations and thoughts. We have dedicated ourselves to this task in the architecture and interior design of the columbarium in the old granary “Die Eiche”, where a total of around 3,400 urns can find a place and the deceased can be commemorated in a dignified setting. We developed the concept for this special place and designed rooms and furniture that fulfil this wish and build a respectful bridge between history and modernity.
Structural design that moves the heart
Built in 1873 as a granary and used for a long time, the typical Hanseatic clinker brick building of the columbarium blends into the fringe of Lübeck’s old town. We are renovating this architectural treasure from the ground up over its seven floors, without disregarding its true core. For the interior design, we also listened deeply to ourselves. We respectfully integrated numerous historical elements, such as floorboards that span several floors, into the new. The result is a memorial with soul that honours the character of the past.
The conversion of the granary into a columbarium included various structural measures in order to meet the requirements of a modern burial site while preserving the historical character of the building. The clinker brick façade with its gothicised stepped gable and the solid wooden supporting structure inside were completely preserved. A central architectural feature of the conversion is the opening up of the warehouse floors over three storeys. By removing the ceilings of the first and second floors in the centre of the rear area, a central celebration hall was created, which is bordered by a glass balustrade. The view of the characteristic beams, burial areas, libraries and works of art is unobstructed. This design enables a harmonious connection between the different levels and creates a sacred spatial atmosphere.
Total area:
1400 m²
Opening:
2024
The inside turned inside out
In addition to the extensive architectural refurbishment of the historic building fabric, the design concepts for the various rooms and furniture were also created by atelier 522. The central hall for funeral services is visually characterised by a finely balanced dialogue between the massive beam architecture and a light installation by artist Madlaina Lys. Thousands of unglazed porcelain tiles create a fragile and gentle lighting atmosphere.
The set-box-like structure of the façade is reflected in the structure of the “urn furniture” on floors 1 and 2. Five different design variants made of glass and wood characterise the appearance. Personal objects of the deceased, their texts and pictures are visibly integrated and tell their stories. Over 100 high-quality works of art by well-known and unknown artists create a museum-like atmosphere, which is, however, only intended to “serve”: Primacy has the silent dialogue of the bereaved with their deceased, primacy has the cemetery. The special location, the ingenious curatorial concept, the high quality of the materials used and, above all, the absolute attention to detail make the columbarium DIE EICHE one of the most beautiful of its kind.
Stand still
Whether clad in precious wood or silver-plated, hand-blown glass, the design of the urn chambers of different sizes leaves gentle space for the relatives of the deceased to incorporate personal items on the outside. Islands of remembrance, integrated into a historical place that has completed its transformation from granary to memory store and found a new meaningful purpose.
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