Title

Author(s)

Julian Snethlage

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/VPSF7667

Keywords

On-Site Reuse, Heritage Protection, Scalability

PP

880-887

How to Cite

Snethlage, Julian. “On-Site Reuse – Design Strategy for the East Wing of the Festspielhaus Hellerau.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 880–887. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

The further development of existing buildings is the central task of current design practice. The Festspielhaus Hellerau ensemble has had an eventful history. Built in 1911 as the centrepiece of the garden city Hellerau in northern Dresden (Saxony), its role as a hub for the avant-garde art and life reform movements of the early 20th century was short-lived. In the 1930s, it was turned into barracks by the Nazis for training police and SS units. After the war, it was used by the Red Army of the USSR for almost 50 years. In 1979, it was placed under heritage protection. After reunification, the process of reclaiming the ensemble for artistic use slowly began. Today it hosts “Hellerau – European Centre for the Arts”. The East Wing reflects the various phases of use and conversion of the area. The transformation of this ‘uncomfortable monument’ from barracks to a centre for modern dance requires a design and conversion strategy that enables an adequate culture of remembrance, while simultaneously adapting the building fabric from the 1930s to contemporary uses – all while meeting requirements for resource conservation, waste minimisation and socially compatible neighbourhood development. The concept of ‘On-site Reuse’ takes into account the built environment at all scales. Potential for continued use is examined and developed from the scale of the building, M 1:100, to the component, M 1:10, to the material, M 1:1. Highlighting specific tasks from the project, which was realised between 2018-2024 by heinlewischer Dresden, this case study provides an insight into the implementation of this approach and argues in favour of reuse and its effects on planning and construction. The potential in terms of cost-effectiveness and CO2 savings, as well as the limits of reuse, are presented in this paper.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.