Name: niedersächsischer landtag
Location: Hanover, Germany
Year: 2009-2010
Type: parliament
Status: competition
Coauthor: lutz ring, philipp reichelt

The plot next to the Leine has always reflected historical changes and has seen a number of different uses over the years: a monastery, a castle, an opera house, a military barracks building and finally the parliament of Lower Saxony. The most distinctive renovation took place in the 19th century by Georg Friedrich Laves. His neo-classical portico is not only the main entrance, but it also represents the parliament for many people of Hanover. The eastern wing has never been built, thus the symmetric design has never been accomplished.

We regard this competition as a unique opportunity to finish the building according to Laves’ original idea. Therefore we propose to not only demolish the existing parliament, an annex from the 1960’s, and the central court, but to mirror the existing western wing along the centre axis. As a result, the new position of the plenary hall resides naturally: at the heart of the building, surrounded by two identical courtyards. This composition maximizes the transparency of the parliament and creates ideal lighting conditions for the office spaces next to the courts.

The principle of mirroring is also used in the outer appearance of the building: the rhythm of the western façade at Leinestrasse is adapted and transferred to the eastern wing. The new façade, with its uniformed columns from coloured concrete covering the height of the building, is the contemporary translation of the eastern façade, without being an exact duplication.