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Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court
ANELLO

Magistrates' Court in the Renaissance Castle

Göppingen, Germany

Project: Göppingen Magistrates' Court | Renaissance Castle

Planning: Petra Haller

Photo: Heinz Fahrion

Year: 2016

Castle Stories

Göppingen District Court in the Renaissance Castle

Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court

"[...] a four-winged Renaissance-style castle. It was built between 1550 and 1568 under the supervision of master builder Aberlin Tretsch. The commission for this was given by Duke Christoph of Württemberg, who, following a successful spa stay at what was then known as the Göppingen Sauerbrunnen, ordered the construction of a princely palace on the site of an existing moated castle—first mentioned in 1455—to serve as a residence for him and his successors during their spa stays in Göppingen. [...] "

Later in history, the castle also served as the widow’s residence for the Duchesses of Württemberg. [...]

(Even later...) the castle housed the district court and official residences for its judges. Wilhelm August von Breitling (1835–1914), Prime Minister of Württemberg from 1901 to 1906, spent his early years at Göppingen Castle after his father, Paul Breitling (1798–1867), became a district judge in Göppingen in 1835 and moved with his family into one of the official residences in the castle.

Since 2002, investigation and restoration work has been carried out at Göppingen Castle, which has served to preserve the listed building fabric whilst also adapting the fittings and interior to the requirements of a modern and functional public authority.

Whereas the building previously housed other authorities, most recently almost all of Göppingen’s notary offices, it has now, following the extension of its jurisdiction to include the probate and guardianship court, been home exclusively to Göppingen Local Court since 1 January 2018.

- Göppingen Local Court -

Harmony despite being created at different times

A reflection of the attention to detail and appreciation of craftsmanship

Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court
ANELLO

Is it the near-perfect balance of care and love with which these things were crafted that defines their beauty? Naturally, the architecture of that era deserves our utmost respect. These beautifully shaped stone arches. To think that such things were created back then with so few tools and nothing but human and animal labour. The careful selection of stones according to material and colour, so that certain accentuations are placed, for example, on the constellation where the various lines meet. What an effort, cost and time are involved in all of this...

And the luminaires from SATTLER Leuchtenmanufaktur are still handmade in Germany today. High-quality selected materials and the latest LED technology are brought together by loving and experienced hands in the production facility in Göppingen, transforming the components into luminous elements. Admittedly, fortunately today with the help of a few tools and machines to make the work easier. Yet the aluminium light rings pictured, for example, are actually hand-polished. It fills the team with pride that the hand-polished ANELLO light rings, in these beautiful premises, reflect the craftsmanship of times gone by.

Other outstanding examples of craftsmanship in the castle

Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court

The painted arcade

Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court

The vine-cored staircase

"The so-called Vine Staircase was created by the Göppingen stonemason Hans Neu. 71 of the 79 steps of this spiral staircase, built in 1562, are decorated on the underside with a stone interlacing of vine leaves and fruit, into whose tendrils a total of 13 different animals, such as birds, a bear and a wild boar, have been incorporated."

"Lighting selection based on jurisdictional aspects"

Heinz Fahrion
Magistrates' Court
ANELLO

Facts

1. Renaissance Castle – Historic building

2. Restoration & renovation

3. Vaulted ceiling

4. Room function & layout: Large courtroom with block seating

Legal Consequences

- Observe heritage protection regulations
- Preserve the building’s charm

- Consider energy aspects: modern & efficient lighting technology
- Check the power supply
- Define dimming method

- Showcasing stonemasonry craftsmanship
- Emphasising the arches
- Checking load-bearing capacity
- Checking suspension method & determining suspension points

- Select lighting according to visual task
- Consider lighting parameters:
light colour, lumen output, glare values, dimmability
- Incorporate furniture into lighting design

The luminous judgment

The decision was made in favour of the large-scale ANELLO ring pendant luminaire, featuring direct and indirect lighting and a refined hand-polished aluminium finish. Several of these luminaires, each with a diameter of 1.6 m, were suspended along the large rectangular table. Both the furniture and the positioning of the lighting were arranged specifically in accordance with the requirements of the vaulted ceiling. Not least thanks to the ANELLO’s indirect lighting, the ceiling is once again brought to the fore, with the focus placed on the converging struts – the luminous star at the centre. This is where all threads come together: old and new lifelines, all facts of the case, encountering one another and the legal consequences.