Description
After residing in very cramped facilities until 1996, the Dornbirn fire brigade inaugurated the new fire station at the occasion of its 130th anniversary. From the new location, all parts of the town can be reached quickly in an emergency.
The architect of the Dornbirn fire station vehicle depot, Wolfgang Ritsch, emphasised the clear spatial and functional organisation of the procedures within the building complex. It contains workshops, service and wash bays as well as a hose wash hall where vehicles and equipment are maintained. Further facilities include an emergency call center, a workshop for breathing apparatuses, and training and administration rooms. From the functional arrangement of the simple buildings to the icon-like appearance of the fire hose tower, the design is guided by the notion of a clear general layout. In addition to the functional courses of action inside the building the outdoor spaces of the courtyards, training grounds and the entrance area emerged as the main elements for the architectural design.
On the irregularly shaped site administration wing, emergency service, garages and fire hose tower create a clear geometry in conjunction with the allocated outdoor spaces of the main entrance, access and exit route and training grounds. The circulation routes have been laid out to ensure a smooth flow of actions; the transparent façade and individually staged poignant perspectives provide orientation.
The individual building parts are constructed of reinforced concrete with inserted and attached steel structures. Spaces with large roof spans have framed steel structures. In order to allow for the installation of technical building equipment, the steel structure is left exposed. Trapezoid metal sheets provide longitudinal stiffening of the building. The delicate structure of the curtain wall façade consisting of timber, metal and glass elements supports the restrained materiality of the building. In contrast, the solid wall surfaces are clad with horizontal corrugated aluminum sheets.
Drawings
Photos
View of the administrative wing with vehicle hall and fire hose tower in the background
Interior view of the vehicle hall
Originally published in: Jürgen Adam, Katharina Hausmann, Frank Jüttner, Industrial Buildings: A Design Manual, Birkhäuser, 2004.