The Kloker box for Schondorf's station shed

Created: 2022-06-29Updated: 2022-06-29 07:59

By: Dieter Roettig

Visitors to the Schondorf weekly market will soon be able to enjoy the renovated and optically pimped station shed.

© Roettig

Schondorf – In 2014, the majority of Schondorfers voted in a referendum for the demolition of the “eyesore” station shed.

The State Office for the Protection of Monuments saw things very differently: the shed from 1898, together with the train station, together with the train station, "represents a historically and artistically important monument". could agree on a solution.

This seems to have been found with artist Andreas Kloker's "box-in-box" idea.

The concept can be implemented quickly, is relatively inexpensive and does not stand in the way of later redesigning the square as a town centre.

Such as an extension to the town hall, the opening of the park-like area behind the youth center or a partial building over of the Edeka car park.

13 of the 15 councilors voted for the "charming solution".

With that, the recently presented feasibility study by the architects Wiesler and Schmidt on the “New Center” in Schondorf was off the table for the time being.

Especially since it would have cost the already tight municipal budget millions.

The Kloker solution is considerably cheaper.

The exterior of the shed, including the roof, will be renovated and given a makeover.

Instead of lowering the interior floor, a lift for wheelchair users is to be installed.

This means that the basement room would remain as a storeroom.

In order to keep the inner walls as original as possible and not to touch them, the Kloker concept also provides for a "box in box system" due to thermal necessity: A partially prefabricated wooden cube is placed in the approximately 55 square meter interior, for which there are many possible uses give.

Mayor Alexander Herrmann immediately reported the need for an urgently needed wedding room.

The cube is illuminated through the two door openings with inserted filigree steel and glass door elements.

A glass roof is also possible.

The space created as a gallery could be used as an exhibition area, for example for pictures of the Ammersee or historical views of Schondorf.

For necessary business you will find toilets in the station next door.

The wish of the Schondorf brewing association to be allowed to use a third of the area for brewing beer was smashed by the municipal council with 12 votes to 3.

"The smell of hops and malt probably doesn't go well with a wedding room," said Mayor Herrmann regretfully.

At this early stage, the municipal councils left it open whether the box would ultimately be used for weddings, as tourist information or as an alternative office for the town hall.

Andreas Kloker was happy that the historical goods shed was preserved in its form.

As an example of how you can turn a shabby railway building into a jewel, he named the red former signal box owned by his colleague Annunciata Foresti in Dießen.

"We're not exactly blessed with listed buildings here in Schondorf," he said.

"That's why I think it's particularly important to preserve the shed for posterity." In 2024, ten years after the public vote for demolition, the people of Schondorf could celebrate the inauguration of the shed in a new guise if the detailed planning goes ahead quickly.