As a new urban centre featuring high-quality interior and exterior spaces, the town hall complex sets an urban design benchmark and paves the way for Bakum’s future-oriented development.
The design comprises two buildings: a single-storey hall-style building housing the two council chambers, and a multi-storey long building serving as the administrative centre, linked by a glass passageway from the foyer.
All functional areas are housed in the main building, allowing the large space in the hall-style building to stand out on its own. A movable partition wall transforms it into a council chamber and meeting room when required, whilst also enabling versatile use for cultural events.
The layout of the buildings creates two urban spaces with distinct characters: between them lies the town hall forecourt, from which the main entrance opens out generously as an open space for the public, bringing the ceremonial areas to life.
From Kirchstraße, a multi-purpose event and car park provides vehicle access to the town hall and the cemetery.
The squares are given an urban character with predominantly paved strips of varying textures. Solid blocks, raised beds and a water feature with benches enhance the quality of the space.
Two solitary silver lime trees (‘Brabant’, up to 25 m, honeydew-free) mark the entrances; an avenue of smaller trees creates a buffer between the car park and the cemetery.
The new Bakum Town Hall is a self-contained complex comprising two buildings, which engages with the historic town centre and blends into the low-density development with its gabled roofs. The design enhances the rather unremarkable location between a private house and the cemetery, creating a fitting focal point for public life.
Instead of buildings running alongside the road, two structures – a hall-type building and a longhouse – stand side by side, rotated by 20°, with their gables confidently facing the town centre. The larger administrative building along the north side forms the boundary with the cemetery; the smaller council building, accessed via a connecting structure, emphasises the representativeness of the council area and its orientation towards the town centre through the separation of functions.
The level of the ground floor is determined by the rising terrain in the southern part of the site. The forecourt, which is at the same level as the surrounding area, is raised above Schulstraße and, via a flight of steps, defines a distinctive urban space; a gently sloping surface (3-4 %) at the southern edge of the square ensures barrier-free access.
The ground floor houses the foyer with an exhibition and waiting area, council chambers, an information desk, a citizens’ service centre and a police station. The open, transparent design makes the building a community-oriented administrative and event venue, which can also be used outside opening hours and independently of the other floors.
In terms of materials, the design draws on the clinker bricks typical of the region: the facades consist of light grey to whitish hand-moulded facing bricks with a smooth render, whose 5 cm offset between storeys is reminiscent of a half-timbered house and creates a monolithic effect.
The functions are clearly discernible from the facade – generous glazing on the ground floor connects the foyer, council chamber and public space, strikingly complemented by the council chamber’s panoramic window.
Inside, the council building features a light-coloured, acoustically effective timber structure. The locally sourced materials create a durable, low-maintenance outer shell that blends seamlessly into its surroundings.
