Kröpeliner Straße 64

Refurbishment and modernisation of a listed department store in Rostock, Germany

As “Rostock’s most beautiful department store,” the historic early 20th-century villa is well known beyond the borders of the city. After remaining vacant for many years, plans were drawn up to return the building to its former glory and to offer an attractive shopping experience. ATP architects engineers breathed new life into the department store with the help of a sensitive conservation concept and a certain amount of flair.

 

A building with a history
The building was realized in 1910/11 in line with a design from the renowned architect Paul Korff and is an important example of an early reinforced concrete building. Originally built as a fashion store for the Rostock retailer Franz Schurig, it was later acquired by the Rostock trading family of Gustaf Zeeck, who opened a carpet store in 1930. The building was severely damaged by a flying bomb in 1942, which destroyed both the roof structure and the striking external form. Only the parapet with its powerful corners remained. A series of insensitive refurbishments carried out over the course of the following years paid minimal attention to the important historical role of the building.

New life for the department store
After standing empty for six years, the listed building has regained its role as the “jewelry case” of central Rostock. ATP architects engineers developed a harmonious architectural concept for the client. The beauty company RITUALS was impressed by the historical charm of the building and rented the bottom two stories.

A concept with flair
The conservation concept focused on the retention of the historical building substance and the sensitivity of the refurbishment process. The principal loadbearing structure and the so-called “Korff facade” were retained. To this end, only certain sections of the facade were improved and superfluous loads were carefully removed from the building. The remodeling work also revealed the impressive structural framework. A well-thought-out repair concept guaranteed the success of the revitalization.

Shopping with historic charm
The careful refurbishment and reletting of the celebrated department store has given a tangible boost to downtown Rostock. On the opening day of the RITUALS store, a long queue formed right across the pedestrian zone. Visitors now pass through this striking entrance area with its copper roof into an elegant high-quality retail space that still retains all the historic charm of the building.

