Sustainable infrastructure for the historic cemetery
The city of Darmstadt is pushing ahead with the modernization of the Old Cemetery. In its most recent meeting, the city council approved the start of planning for the renovation of the social and operational building. This will implement urgently needed structural and technical measures and improve working conditions for employees.
According to a statement from the city of Darmstadt , the renovation is necessary to bring the cemetery administration's buildings up to current regulations. "Our goal is to adapt the administrative and operational buildings of the city's most historically significant cemetery to future structural, staffing, and climatic conditions," explains Michael Kolmer, head of the parks department. The last comprehensive structural alteration took place in the early 1980s and no longer meets today's requirements.
Restoration in accordance with historic preservation guidelines with optimized use of space
During the planning phase, particular emphasis is placed on the preservation of historical monuments and the limited space available in the cemetery. Plans include, among other things:
- The dismantling of individual areas to restore historical axes.
- The densification of buildings along Herdweg through the addition of extra stories.
- The restructuring of the depot for more compact and efficient use.
The corner building at Nieder-Ramstädter Straße/Herdweg will house staff rooms on two floors. The existing access for commercial vehicles will remain and separate this area from the new vehicle hall and the funeral chapel with the cemetery's service rooms.
construction of a pavilion along the historic chapel is
Modern infrastructure for employees and visitors
“The planned modernization will create a contemporary infrastructure for citizens as well as a future-oriented working environment for the employees of the cemetery administration,” Kolmer continued.
A previously conducted feasibility study examined various options and focused on promoting the historical structure as well as on an economically viable construction implementation.
Following the decision by the city council, the planning process should be implemented as quickly as possible in order to avoid long-term temporary solutions.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/evi
