Philipp Soldan Forum

Frankenberg, Germany

Photo © Moritz Bernoully

Cultural Centers

Architects: Ian Shaw Architekten BDA RIBA

Location: Teichweg 3, 35066 Frankenberg, Germany
Year: 2023
Client: Stadt Frankenberg (Eder)
Team: Ian Shaw, Moritz Powik, Tizian Borzaga
Structural engineering: Statik Nolte
TGA: Harald Hilbert
Acoustics: Vladimir Szynajowski, s-acoustics

The renovated Philipp Soldan Forum is welcoming, bright and contemporary, as well as being fully energy efficient and barrier free. The hall, built in the 1980s, serves as an event and conference centre for the city Frankenberg in Hesse and the entire region. After just over two years of revitalization, the hall opened in mid-2023 under the new name Philipp Soldan Forum. We provided full support for the refurbishment - from design, planning permission and detailed design to construction supervision and cost control.

Our approach was to emphasize the advantages of the existing building while eliminating its shortcomings, such as darkness and obstructed views of the interior. Taking away rather than adding was the guiding principle. The acoustics for both spoken word and musical performances have been raised to a level comparable to that of leading concert halls. In the spirit of sustainability and timelessness, using high quality, natural materials and a reduced colour palette have been used.