Ice House, Eckernförde

The Baltic seaside resort of Eckernförde was one of the most important fishing locations on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany until the mid-20th century. Here, the sprat was produced as a smoked fish specialty and shipped to the whole world from the Kiel train station as “Kieler Sprotte.” In particular, fishing brought economic growth and prosperity to Eckernförde.

Dozens of fishermen were still moored with their boats in the Eckernförde harbor towards the end of the 1970s and relied on a temporary solution for the storage and cooling of their catches. The partner of the fish wholesale business Hopp & Rehse, Klaus Jung, commissioned our architectural firm in Eckernförde to plan and construct an ice house in an exclusive location at the Eckernförde harbor.

Project data

Place: Schiffbrücke, 24340 Eckernförde
Builder: Hopp & Rehse, Klaus Jung
Planning: 1979
Construction time: 1980
Costs: 350.000 DM

Total Area: 232 m²
Net Floor Area: 161 m²

The ice house as a functional commercial building for the fish trade

The processes of ice production, ice storage, ice supply for fishermen, as well as the reception and interim storage of fish catches have been organized over 161 square meters across two floors. Through a slide to the outside, the fishing boats were secured with ice to preserve the catches during the long voyages. Additionally, the storage of the catch until resale, as well as the refrigerated interim storage of imported fish and seafood from Holland, Denmark, and Sweden, which were landed by boat in Eckernförde, had to be facilitated.

Form and architecture

-Why architects should be involved in industrial buildings-
Industrial buildings are usually constructed according to economic and functional requirements, often without the involvement of architects. The functional conditions, such as here—without window openings—with some air supply grilles, an ice slide, and an access gate—determine the shape of the building, which is often constructed without architects, relying solely on the assistance of engineers and technicians for process optimization. Our client in Eckernförde has recognized the value of architects’ involvement in industrial construction and has commissioned our Eckernförde office with the construction and coordination of the participants.

The challenge for our Eckernförde architectural office was to design the functional building on the harbour site in such a way that the functional processes are optimized and economic requirements are met. At the same time, it was to become part of the diversity of the small fishing town and have a form in which its use could be read accordingly. The solitary location on the harbor quay and the correspondence to the historic round warehouse building were the boundary conditions for the design process. The most obvious solution here was the all-round sculptural form as a monolith, which stands independently and with five views on the harbor apron, but corresponds with its surroundings through its proportions and materiality – the reddish-brown brick.

  • Eishaus Eckernförde Blick von Schiffbrücke aus
  • Eishaus Eckernförde Luftbild
  • Eishaus Eckernförde mit Kornspeicher, Blick vom Hafen aus
  • Eishaus Eckernförde Blick von Schiffbrücke
  • Eishaus Eckernförde Blick von Schiffbrücke
  • Eishaus Eckernförde mit Schienen
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde
  • Das Eishaus Hopp und Rehse in Eckernförde
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde mit Korspeicher
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980, Blick von der Hafenstraße
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980, Blick von der Hafenstraße
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980 Blick vom Wasser aus
  • Das Eishaus am Hafen in Eckernförde 1980, Detailansicht
Eishaus Eckernförde Lageplan
Lageplan
Eishaus Eckernförde Grundriss des Ergeschosses
Grundriss Erdgeschoss