The plot next to the Leine has always reflected historical changes and
has seen a number of different uses over the years: a monastery, a
castle, an opera house, a military barracks building and finally the
parliament of Lower Saxony. The most distinctive renovation took place
in the 19th century by Georg Friedrich Laves. His neo-classical portico
is not only the main entrance, but it also represents the parliament
for many people of Hanover. The eastern wing has never been built, thus
the symmetric design has never been accomplished. We regard
this competition as a unique opportunity to finish the building
according to Laves’ original idea. Therefore we propose to not only
demolish the existing parliament, an annex from the 1960’s, and the
central court, but to mirror the existing western wing along the centre
axis. As a result, the new position of the plenary hall resides
naturally: at the heart of the building, surrounded by two identical
courtyards. This composition maximizes the transparency of the
parliament and creates ideal lighting conditions for the office spaces
next to the courts. The principle of mirroring is also used in
the outer appearance of the building: the rhythm of the western façade
at Leinestrasse is adapted and transferred to the eastern wing. The new
façade, with its uniformed columns from coloured concrete covering the
height of the building, is the contemporary translation of the eastern
façade, without being an exact duplication.
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