PS.Speicher

Karl-Heinz Rehbock realised a dream on the former site of the Kornhaus in Einbeck. For his extensive collection of German motorbikes, the site, which was unused in 2009, offered the necessary potential for his planned exhibitions. Additional purchase of adjacent land and buildings enabled the development of an urban planning concept that convinced the city of Einbeck of the architectural and cultural benefits for the city and the region. The overall concept envisages the creation in several phases of an exhibition area with further exhibition halls, administration in the historic former youth guesthouse and a hotel with a large car park.

Holger Eilers, Managing Director of the Cultural Foundation, comments:
“Mr Schwieger joined the project at a stage when the small PS Speicher team was threatened with the project “going over its head.

Difficult structural conditions in the historic granary, a variety of requirements and conditions imposed by the building authorities, their own high demands on quality and design and, above all, immense time pressure had brought those involved to the limits of their endurance.

In this respect, it was an extraordinary stroke of luck that Mr Schwieger had just successfully completed another construction project for Mr Rehkopf’s group of companies and was able to take over the project management in Einbeck with his team.

With his help, the complex construction project was completed on time and with due diligence, so that the PS Speicher was able to open its doors on time in July 2014.

In the case of the hotel, the planning of which was started later, Mr Schwieger and his team were involved from the very beginning. He built on the existing preliminary work and completed the planning according to the specifications of the builders and tenants.

In the following construction phase, we could well understand how much Mr Schwieger was right with his admonition to first plan carefully and with some attention to detail, then to put out to tender and finally to build exactly what had been planned beforehand; and for heaven’s sake, no supplements. We weren’t able to keep to that 100%, but we almost did.

The reward is construction costs that are favourable in relation to the quality achieved and, above all, approximately on schedule. Costs and organisation, that’s one thing, the other is the architect’s “handwriting”. How good it is will perhaps be judged after 10, 20 or possibly only after 30 years.

In Mr Schwieger we have found an architect who takes up the wishes of the client and almost imperceptibly puts them down on paper in his own handwriting.

Mr Schwieger builds modern, but not with “bells and whistles” that may no longer be up-to-date tomorrow.

Sustainability and durability define his buildings. Buildings can age gracefully if they are built accordingly.

This requires the appropriate materials, careful planning in detail and an architect who combines both.

We have found such a special architect in Mr Schwieger, for which he deserves our thanks.”