Project Name: Stones Water Light Visitor Center

Location: Edersee, Germany

Design Team: Christoph Hesse Architects

Total Floor Area: 1,500 m²

Completion: 2021-2023

Photography: Laurian Ghinitoiu, Michael Meschede

Feature:

Project - Christoph Hesse Architects has completed their latest project - Stones Water Light Visitor Center at Lake Edersee, reinterpreting the concept of perspective-changing cultural space through contemporary design approaches. This 1,500-square-meter structure serves both as a visitor center and a thoughtfully crafted venue for exploring regenerative thinking and action.

The project's most distinctive feature is its innovative treatment of the Edersee dam concept. The design team transformed this symbolic structure into a spatial protagonist through a conceptual "section cut" through the dam, revealing imagined internal spaces of tunnels and shafts. This architectural metaphor not only connects the central square of the village of Edersee with the dam itself but also reinforces the water infrastructure's central role in local identity and history.

The spatial layout is carefully orchestrated, encompassing a multi-layered visitor experience. The ground floor and outdoor areas serve as community spaces, fostering gathering, education, and cultural exchange. Visitors are guided through an open and seamlessly connected spatial experience, leading to an information and lounge area before descending to the museum space, where an immersive light installation brings the dam's vivid history to life. The walkable rooftop further enhances the experience, offering different viewpoints that showcase both the dam and the surrounding natural landscape.

The project's uniqueness lies in its reconsideration of cultural facility design. Through materiality of brick and wood that respects the surrounding landscape while establishing a contemporary presence, the design team transformed the space into a place for reflection, learning, and connection. This project represents a significant achievement in cultural design, transforming architecture into a medium for creating moments of contemplation and engagement in Germany's rural landscape.

This is not merely a visitor center but a vivid lesson in how thoughtful design can transform historical sites into meaningful environments that nurture contemporary communities, setting a new standard for cultural buildings at the threshold of the UNESCO-listed Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.

Design Team - Founded in 2010, Christoph Hesse Architects has established itself as one of Germany's most innovative architectural practices, renowned for creating spaces that inspire self-efficacy, collaboration, and deep connections to nature. With offices in the historic town of Korbach and the contemporary creative hub of Berlin, the studio has gained international recognition for its design philosophy that combines deeply rooted local identity with a forward-thinking vision.

The practice specializes in cultural and ecological projects across both rural and urban contexts, fostering a dialogue that bridges these two realms and their unique challenges and opportunities. Their work is defined by two categories: Perspective Changers and System Changers. "Perspective Changers" projects address global challenges through localized interventions that spark reflection and action, while "System Changers" focus on using architecture as a catalyst for systemic change.

Under the leadership of Christoph Hesse, the firm has received numerous awards for its innovative approach, including the Design Vanguard Award, European 40 under 40 Award, and multiple Architizer A+ Awards. Hesse himself holds Master degrees from ETH Zurich and Harvard University Graduate School of Design, has served as a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, and is currently teaching at Sapienza University of Rome.

The studio's methodology combines rigorous architectural planning with keen insights into user experience, particularly excelling in creating civic spaces that foster community engagement and environmental consciousness. Their growing influence in the architectural sphere is evidenced by an expanding portfolio of premium projects and continued presence in international design discourse, representing architecture as a significant agent of social and environmental transformation.