Located in the greater Regensburg area, the village of Barbing used to be dominated by farming. Following changes to the local road network, the town officials were keen to give their village square a new look that would lend prominence to the pleasant atmosphere of the location. After the through traffic had been rerouted, a pan-European competition was launched for the makeover of the square, which saw architect Bernd Bornschlegel from “querluft” architectural firm and landscape architect Josef Garnhartner come out tops.

For the redesign of the square and the new build, the winning pair opted for a modern formal idiom that nonetheless references the region’s architectural style. To add spatial definition to the square, they replaced the dilapidated old milk store building with an eye-catching and attractive cuboid structure made of sand-lime bricks, which boasts a tailor-made folding wall from Solarlux. Specifically, the folding elements were clad with pre-weathered sheet copper to emphasize the building’s extraordinary character and open up a whole range of individual uses.

Designed as a multipurpose venue, the structure serves as a festival stage when open and a storeroom when closed. Moreover, the floor slab is elevated to provide additional seating in the square. For concerts the individual wing elements can be pushed back entirely on both sides, opening up a comfortable stage, and providing a seamless link between interior and exterior.