Representative home for historical finds

Ceramic facade for “stone hall” in Alzey

Alzey was first mentioned as a town 1800 years ago on a Roman consecration stone. Despite its significance, this historical find from Roman times and other architectural fragments such as 50 column and altar fragments led a shadowy existence until the construction of the “Steinhalle”.

The historical artefacts, which were excavated around 1930, have been open to the public since spring 2023. Just in time for the start of the Roman Year 2023, the “Steinhalle” museum extension was completed with the support of the EU. Separated by a glass joint, the extension directly adjoins the museum’s Renaissance building. A modern building was deliberately created for the ancient artefacts which, despite its straightforward appearance, blends into the heterogeneous cityscape that has developed over time. On a total area of 220 square metres, the relics are now displayed in a representative manner and tell the impressive story of the town of Alzey.

Graceful geometry with a sacred character
The extension to the museum, designed and realised by eichler & eichler architekten, is characterised by a modern-looking geometry that stands in exciting contrast to the exhibits. The barrier-free building is designed as a pure timber construction made of 20 cm thick solid wood elements. All wall and roof elements, without exception, have been designed and built at an angle.

The museum has several levels, which can be reached both via stairs and a lift. The ground floor offers sufficient space to explore the extensive collection and, thanks to its sacred character, becomes an exhibit in itself. On the upper floor, a gallery provides a view of the forum. In a spacious room with a total height of up to 6.5 metres, all the ancient sculptures are presented in their entirety. At the same time, digital terminals allow visitors to learn about the history of the town of Alzey in a playful and intuitive way.

Modern transfer of old building materials
It made sense to use building materials for the construction and in particular for the building envelope that have a tradition going back thousands of years and at the same time meet the latest requirements thanks to the constant optimisation of the production processes. The 650 square metre facade of the “Steinhalle” is clad on all sides with greyish rod-shaped NBK clinker baguettes. The horizontally arranged square ceramic elements are strikingly vertical and give the building sculpture an organic appearance despite its interruptions. Together with the generous window fronts with their slanted reveals and lintels made of metallic HPL panels, they form an interesting counterpoint to the baroque main building and emphasise the listed building in a very special way. Both structures are discreetly separated from each other by a glass joint and at the same time connected to each other.

Sophisticated sub-structure system for horizontal fixing in the facade and roof area
In order to harmonise the attractive facade design of the 650 m² building envelope with the planned rear-ventilated curtain wall, the decision was made to use a concealed fixing system for the clinker baguettes. A project-related building permit was obtained for the combined fastening system consisting of SYSTEA profiles and baguette fastening. Special aluminium wall brackets and stronger T-profiles were used for the ceramic elements mounted on a solid wood sub-structure in both the facade and roof areas due to their weight.

The cladding elements were attached to the horizontal support profiles with clips. Photo: MP Fassadentechnik

Horizontal cut

A proven system customised as a special construction
The SYSTEA TC110 profile system was adapted to the required conditions for the Alzey stone hall building project. This special construction consists of horizontal aluminium support profiles and reinforced aluminium special wall brackets for fixing to the solid wood wall in order to meet the thermal requirements.

The cladding elements were attached to the horizontal support profiles with clips (T100/50 type A). The support profiles were connected to the wall brackets with screws. The sliding points and fixed points absorb horizontal loads (wind) and vertical loads (dead weight). The sliding points are mounted in horizontal slotted holes without constraint.

One fixed point is arranged per support profile. For easier installation, the wall brackets are optionally equipped with an installation aid that enables the support profile to be fixed and held in place. Special thermostop elements were used as a thermal break to minimise thermal bridges.

Harmonising old and new
The Steinhalle in Alzey has successfully revitalised the town centre, benefiting locals and visitors alike. It invites people to interact both inside and on the forecourt and enhances this central urban space with its very own charm. The building has transformed a previously faceless car park deck into a museum square with charisma – with a completely new “genius loci”.

Project details

  • Project: Museum Steinhalle Alzey
  • Place: Alzey
  • Country: DE
  • Building type: Sports + Culture + Recreation
  • Type of construction project: New build
  • Completion: 2023
  • SYSTEA Wall bracket: Aluminum
  • SYSTEA profile system: TC110-N Special construction
  • Cladding material: NBK Terrart Large
  • Fastening: Concealed
  • Architect: eichler & eichler architekten GmbH
  • Photos: Michael Heinrich; Systea GmbH

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