NRW State Archives

View from the Schwanentor to the State Archives / Photo: Ortner&Ortner

The tower will be integrated into a historic preservation site, a warehouse that was built in the 1930s and is connected to a wave-shaped 120-metre long new brick building. While impressive on its own, the new building also complements the tower and warehouse. It's a conscious experiment with forms that’s intended to polarize - and make people curious as to what’s behind the brick walls: the memory of the state of NRW.   

The 6-storey annex to the archive also contains lecture halls, offices for 130 staff members and additional areas for potential expansion. While the entrance hall and other public areas open towards the riverside, the building itself as seen from the motorway is an impressive landmark that is to play an important cultural role for the entire Ruhr region. And it's as fascinating from the inside as it is impressive on the outside. When visitors step into the entrance hall, they will be able to see the entire archive through openings in walls - all 148 kilometres of shelf space!

Partners: North Rhine Westphalia state chancellery, Federal Liegenschaftsamt