Youth center Heslach

A space between loud and quiet

In 2020, the Stuttgart Heslach youth center was reopened with new architecture and the addition of a district library. The new building is positioned as a connecting solitaire in the direction of the currently restructured Hofbräu area to the west, creating space for a connecting square towards the adjacent Generationenhaus. In terms of urban space, the square extends over the adjacent Gebrüder-Schmid-Weg and thus forms the “new center” for the immediate surroundings of the Generationenhaus Heslach, daycare center, youth center and district library.
The design of the building structure makes reference to the eaves and roof edges of the surrounding buildings and gives air and space to the beautiful situations of the existing buildings through recessed roof terraces. Its façade consists of a mix of very rough, dark clinker brick, accentuated box-type windows with perforated zinc cladding and two-storey graffiti in the area of the outdoor playing field. This is complemented by restrained, gray plaster surfaces with a concrete look and dark wood-aluminum window elements, which provide a beautiful, warm contrast to the exposed concrete surfaces in the interior.
The mix of materials reflects the overall concept of the building. The aim was to create a rugged, self-confident and dynamic elegance that reflects the unusual interaction of a library with a youth center and skillfully mediates between “loud” and “quiet”.