The Emergency Dispatch Center Bamberg-Forchheim coordinates emergency calls, firefighting, and rescue services for the greater Bamberg region. With growing operational demands and outdated facilities, the existing center could no longer meet the requirements of a modern 24-hour service. A new building in the Buttenheim business park will now take its place.
The flat roof rises and folds in response to the spatial needs below. It cantilevers out to reduce solar heat gain in summer, while also visually highlighting the core of the 24-hour operations. Carefully positioned openings animate the façade. In the emergency call center, a glass wall offers views into the surrounding woods, letting in soft, filtered daylight and reducing glare. Above the dispatch stations, skylights ensure work can be carried out in natural light throughout the day. An integrated light-directing glass system provides effective glare protection.
The surrounding greenery is more than a backdrop – it’s part of the concept. Native, insect-friendly plantings encircle the new building. Grasses and flowering plants are allowed to grow naturally, boosting biodiversity and creating a resilient landscape.
Designed with long-term flexibility in mind, the new center allows for easy adaptations and future expansions thanks to its structural grid. The roof’s timber construction enables a column-free interior layout in the command center, allowing flexible arrangement of workstations and clear sightlines during critical operations.
Technical safety, operational efficiency, and healthy working conditions were the guiding principles in the design. The angular layout follows the contours of the pie-shaped plot, creating a sheltered courtyard and dividing the building into two zones: dispatch operations and administration. At the junction lies the entrance – a two-story volume that acts as a spatial buffer and the heart of the center. With meeting rooms and social areas located just above, this central space supports both daily routines and collaborative exchange.
The architectural form plays with contrasts – creating a striking yet harmonious exterior. The building’s facade draws inspiration from the agricultural buildings typical of the surrounding region: a solid concrete base grounds the structure, while the wooden slats on the upper floor recall the timber cladding often seen on local barns. This combination creates a dialogue between robustness and lightness, permanence and warmth.
Renderings: moka-Studio GbR / Trapez
