State Archive Kitzingen

The new building of the Bavaria State Archive is to be built to the north of Kitzingen’s old city in an outstanding hillside location with a view over the River Main valley. The building is placed on a plinth and divided into three volumes that sculpturally nestle into the landscape and, owing to the small-scale detailing, fit well into the panorama of the adjoining old city. Two cubes with a square footprint accommodating the archive are linked by a pavilion-type horizontal building volume. The continuous glazing of the entrance zone and the first floor opens the building to the surroundings, whereas the facades of the archive areas have no openings.

The reddish sandstone of the new building places it into its green environment, as well as into that of the urban context. The public areas are located on the first floor: an events room and a reading room. The second floor contains the offices. The archive itself has been placed in the upper floors, as well as in the plinth and basement stories.

From the viewing terrace, an open staircase leads to the surrounding urban park landscape. The landscape design is respectful of the existing topography with its over 18 meters difference in altitude, and provides an intersecting pathway network.