Residential college of adult education, Kleve-Rindern

Refurbishment and extension of a residential college of adult education.

The planning for the residential college of adult education, Kleve-Rindern stems from an architectural competition won in 1992. The competition aimed to spatially prepare the Catholic institute of educational for the increased requirements of current educational assignments.

The age of the building made it necessary to work closely with the listed building authorities in order to preserve the character of the complex with the castle and moat from 1654 at its centre.

Smaller renovations in the area of the main building were carried out at first in four building phases between 1994 and 2004, bringing some of the teaching rooms up to current standards.

After the release of further funds was approved by the Episcopacy, building began in 2000 of the new large-scale extension, including the reception area, a forum, a generous dining room with the necessary kitchen equipment and modern guest rooms on the upper-floor.

In the third building phase the renovation and conversion work in the main building was completed with the conversion of the existing kitchen into teaching rooms, as well as the renovation of the castle’s main staircase and the construction of a new connecting passageway.

In the last phase the existing guestrooms were brought up to a uniform standard, meaning that all rooms have their own bathroom and toilet and the latest in telecommunication equipment. The generous room proportions also allow enough space for families.

The new buildings release the castle with its moat as the architectural centre of the complex. Through large areas of glazing the extensive park surrounding the castle is included in the total concept so that a group of somewhat unrelated individual buildings standing next to each other have been successfully combined to a coherent whole.