Bahnhofstraße 56a
Conversion and energy-efficient refurbishment of a residential and commercial building in a heritage zone
Description
In the city centre of Cottbus, a stone’s throw from the State Theatre, the residential and commercial building was converted, fully refurbished and brought up to new-build energy standards. The Bahnhofstraße quarter is governed by a heritage-area protection by-law.
The building was altered in line with heritage requirements; a new staircase was inserted in the side wing whose upper floors were entirely rebuilt and converted to residential use. Street façade and roofs were rebuilt under heritage approval; the roofs are entirely new.
All apartments and the commercial unit have been gutted and refurbished, building services replaced throughout. Generous flats from 2-room apartments to 5-room maisonettes offer comfortable inner-city living. The calculated primary energy demand is 50.5 kWh/(m²·a).
Project data
- Year
- 2021–2024
- Location
- 03046 Cottbus, Germany
- Category
- Heritage conservation
- Client
- Private
- Gross floor area
- 1,684 m² (all floors)
- Construction costs
- € 2,188,000 (cost groups 300 + 400)
- Services provided
- Architectural services under HOAI §33ff., work stages 1–9
- Project duration
- 2021 to November 2024, occupancy August 2024
- Project number
- № 2070
In context
The refurbishment of the residential and commercial building on Bahnhofstraße in Cottbus brings together two ambitions that are central to working with existing fabric today: protecting historic substance within a heritage area, and modernising energy performance to current standards. Cottbus, a growing university town in southern Brandenburg, depends on projects of this kind: they preserve the grown urban fabric while delivering contemporary residential space in central locations.
With a calculated primary energy demand of 50.5 kWh/(m²·a), the building achieves a value close to today’s new-build standard despite its heritage status. This shows that heritage-sensitive refurbishment and energy efficiency can be combined in practice when both ambitions guide the planning from the start.
As an architectural office working in heritage conservation and existing-fabric projects across Brandenburg, we engage regularly with the requirements of heritage authorities and local preservation by-laws. From the initial concept through heritage coordination to detailed energy planning, the experience from comparable projects in Falkensee, the Havelland and the wider Brandenburg region contributes to solutions that are both legally sound and economically feasible.
Complete index of works
A curated selection from more than 200 realised buildings: new construction, conversions and renovations in Brandenburg, Berlin and beyond.