Christoph Hesse Architects

The dam of Lake Edersee is of great importance for the local population‘s identity. It represents the radical structural change from a poor rural area to a nationally important recreational area. To express this in an emblematic way, the local community decided to build a visitor centre with a museum. The vivid history of the place will be shown here: the construction during the imperial era, the destruction and reconstruction during World War II, and nowadays a popular visiting destination in direct proximity to the UNESCO National Park Kellerwald-Edersee.
The concept idea emerged from a symbolic cutting out of a section through the wall. The new building towers up so that visitors can see the lake and the dam from above. On the ground floor, the people are directed to the interior of the building via a spectacular space. From here the guests reach the info point and the underground level, where the history of the place is presented in an atmospheric way.