Architect：Sehw Architektur

Location：Heppenheim, Germany

Project Year：2020

Category：Police Stations

Put these police stations in the right order: precinct, headquarters, station, directorate. Are you familiar with the different types of police stations? 

Most people are quite happy to have nothing to do with the police. Nevertheless, we are all grateful that they are around, our friends and helpers, especially in the current phase of social distancing and a great prevailing insecurity among the population.

For about ten years, SEHW has been involved in the planning of police stations of all hierarchical levels throughout Germany and has acquired correspondingly great expertise. Our construction project in Heppenheim in the south of Hesse was recently completed. 

Further measures are currently under construction or in the planning stage, such as the police headquarters in Karlsruhe, the police station in Werdau and the police station of the BER Airport in Berlin-Schönefeld.

More than a facelift

What did we do in Heppenheim? A complete makeover!

The complex consisting of several buildings dating from the 1960s to 1990s has been refurbished in terms of energy efficiency and equipped to meet new safety standards. All this was done during ongoing operations in several construction phases.

The existing buildings, which are arranged in a U-shape around a courtyard, were very disparate in terms of design. The different years of construction (1966, 1989 and 1994) together with varying building heights and façade designs created a very heterogeneous and rather uninviting appearance.

As part of the necessary energy-related refurbishment, the opportunity was taken to give the ensemble a new look and to bring the buildings together as regards their design. Despite a limited overall budget, a high architectural standard was implemented here. The new windows in a plaster façade were grouped together in distinctive aluminium frames. The different treatment of the windows and the different characteristics of the frames create a vibrant, dynamic façade. The position and dimensions of the frames vary, creating a subtle interplay. Inside the frames, glass panels between the windows in different shades of blue add refreshing accents, while their colours refer to the use of the building. 

Up to date with energy standards

In the interior, changes to the building fabric were largely avoided and instead only the surfaces were renewed. Electrical, data and security technology were brought up to the latest standards, and the central areas of the police station were completely restructured. Pellet heating and a photovoltaic system as part of a Hessian subsidy programme to reduce CO2 emissions also upgraded the energy efficiency of the ensemble.

And that's just the beginning.

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