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Embedded in the gently rolling hills, the new gas station and rest area  establishes a connection to the region's unique cultural landscape, history, identity, and surroundings.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The new gas station is located on the A71, built between 2010 and 2015, near Sömmeda. The federal highway runs from Schweinfurt through the Thuringian Forest and the state capital Erfurt, continuing on to Sangerhausen.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
In the immediate vicinity lies the Leubinger Fürstenhügel, one of the most important archaeological sites from the Early Bronze Age. About 4.000 years ago, a prince was buried in the originally approximately ten-meter-high burial mound.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
An international competition in 2014 initiated interdisciplinary planning involving architecture, landscape architecture, and communication design. A young planning collective from Berlin won the competition with a compelling design.
©MONO Architekten/Berlin, Planorama Landschaftsarchitektur/Berlin, MUS/Berlin
Construction began in October 2018. The flat, elongated structure is inspired by the typology of the Bronze Age longhouse, expressed in its roof shape.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The approximately five-hundred-meter-long path from the service building to the elevated landmark of the Fürstenhügel is implemented as an educational trail. The path itself is staged as a timeline, highlighting historical events and outstanding archaeological finds.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The path invites visitors of the service area to take a walk and leads them to the burial mound of the Leubinger Fürst. The original outline of the mound is recreated as a loop path.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
An observation platform is integrated on the burial mound, which recreates the position and orientation of the burial chamber originally located in the mound.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Bronze steles and inlays in concrete stage the path as a timeline, offering further information on the archaeological finds in the region and the milestones of history.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Tanks to the nearby Unstrut cycle path, cyclists and hikers can also enjoy the journey through time and use the gastronomy.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller und Gregor Schmidt, Berlin
A simple aluminum skin was used for the building envelope, which underlines the calm overall impression of the building. Inside, the solid wood-clad walls and ceilings create a warm and friendly atmosphere.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
A permanent exhibition on Early Bronze Age culture occupies the large wooden wall in line with the building's body and continues into the educational trail outside. The exhibition thus connects architecture and landscape
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
With seating islands, a bar, a lounge area on the gallery and a play area for children, the dining room offers a variety of different places to relax and retreat.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
With few and clear design elements, the project conveys tranquility to offer a contrast to the fast-paced highway. Additionally, the facility aims to defer to the historical Fürstenhügel, the namesake and protagonist of this location.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The Leubinger Fürstenhügel gas station invites visitors to linger, which is rarely the case at transit stations. This ensemble does not bypass the region but instead leads directly into its history.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The official commissioning ceremony of the Leubinger Fürstenhügel gas station took place in October 2021. From left to right: Ludger Sehr (DEGES), Andreas Trenkel (Federal Highway Company), Jens-Peter Müller (Federal Ministry of Transport), Marta Doehler-Behzadi (IBA Thüringen), Ingo Mlejnek (Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure and Agriculture), Matthias Volpp (Shell Deutschland GmbH), Harald Henning (Sömmerda District).
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
During the final IBA tour, IBA Managing Director Marta Doehler-Behzadi presented certificates to the project participants of the IBA project for inclusion in the IBA final presentation. This symbolic act is the final recognition that a project can achieve within the framework of IBA Thüringen.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller

Gas Station and Rest Area

⸺ A window into the region

Gas stations, train stations, and airports are oftentimes interchangeable places of mobility. They only relate to their own usefulness and are spatially disconnected. The French ethnologist and anthropologist Marc Augé coined the term ›non-places‹ for such monofunctional buildings: they have no history, identity, or connection to their surroundings.

An exception can be found on the still young federal motorway A71 near Sömmerda, where mobility meets archaeology, landscape design, and architectural culture. In close proximity to one of the most important archaeological sites from the early Bronze Age, the Leubinger Fürstenhügel, a pioneering service area was built. This is where a prince was buried in the originally about ten-meter-high burial mound some 4,000 years ago.

From 2010 to 2015, the A71 was built around the Fürstenhügel, leading from Schweinfurt across the Thuringian Forest and the state capital Erfurt, and on to Sangerhausen. In 2013, the Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure and Agriculture commissioned the Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH, or DEGES, to search for an operator for the construction and operation of the planned service area. The special feature: The project should not be just another gas station, but within the framework of the IBA Thuringia and with a view to the region's unique cultural landscape, establish a connection to history, identity, and environment.

In 2014, an international competition was launched to initiate interdisciplinary planning for the design of the service station, which would integrate architecture, landscape architecture, and communication design. The goal was to embed the service station in the context of the gently rolling landscape and historical surroundings. The competition was a model process for the qualification of infrastructure measures. A young planning team from Berlin won the competition with a convincing design.

In September 2017, Shell Deutschland GmbH was awarded the contract to operate the service station and implemented the winning design from the interdisciplinary planning competition and recommendations from the IBA Thuringia. Shell commissioned the competition winners, MONO Architects, Planorama Landscape Architects, and MUS Studio, to carry out the execution planning for the service station, while DEGES was responsible for the exterior design on behalf of the federal and state governments. Construction of the service station began in October 2018, the official opening followed in 2021.

The new building and landscape architecture of the IBA project are characterized by a restrained aesthetic. On the one hand, to provide travelers with an atmosphere of calmness and rest. On the other hand, to take a back seat to the Fürstenhügel, the protagonist at this location. The typology of the Bronze Age longhouse served as a significant source of inspiration for the design of the flat, elongated building, which finds its design expression in the shape of the roof: The roof slowly rises from the fueling station to the ridge line and reaches its peak above the dining and gastronomy area at the eastern end, where a generous glass facade establishes a direct visual reference to the Fürstenhügel. A simple aluminum skin was used for the building envelope, underscoring the calm overall impression of the structure. Inside, the walls and ceilings covered in solid wood create a warm and friendly atmosphere.

On the north side, a covered pathway leads visitors to the two main entrances. These lead to the exhibition space, which serves as a foyer and distributor. A permanent exhibition about the Early Bronze Age culture occupies the large wooden wall in line with the building structure and continues outside as a nature trail. The exhibition thus connects architecture and landscape. Along historical events and archaeological finds, the path leads to the burial mound and finally encloses the real exhibit with a circular pathway structure. Bronze stelae and intarsia in the concrete stage the way there as a timeline and offer further information on the archaeological discoveries in the region and the milestones of history. Another special feature is the landscape terrace located in the opposite direction in the area of the compensation areas, which makes the emerging vegetation areas tangible and offers a resting place with a view of the facility and surroundings. Travelers can thus leave the actual rest stop area, which is unusual in Germany. However, the nearby Unstrut bike path allows cyclists and hikers to use the time travel path and gastronomy as well.

The Leubinger Fürstenhügel gas station and rest area invite you to linger, which is rarely characteristic of transit locations. This ensemble does not pass by the region, but goes straight into its history. At the height of Sömmerda, it is now possible to experience a rich cultural landscape on the A71.

Ort

Tank- und Rastanlage Leubinger Fürstenhügel

Autobahn 71
99610 Sömmerda

Contact

  • Ulrike Rothe (IBA project manager)

Projekt sponsor


Cooperation partner

Financial support

Involved In Planning

  • Architecture: MONO Architekten, Berlin
  • Landscape Architecture: Planorama Landschaftsarchitektur, Berlin
  • Communication Design: MUS, Berlin
  • Competition Supervision: PAD, Weimar
  • Planning and Site Management for Concessionaire: KMP Bauplanungs- und Projektmanagement, Birkenwerder
  • Project Management for Concessionaire: Artelia, Hamburg

Konzessionsgeberin

Konzessionsnehmerin

Landschaftsarchitektur

Planorama Landschaftsarchitektur, Berlin

Kommunikationsdesign

  • MUS, Berlin

Wettbewerbsbegleitung

PAD, Weimar

Planung Und Oberbauleitung Für Konzessionsnehmerin

KMP Bauplanungs- und Projektmanagement, Birkenwerder

Projektsteuerung Für Konzessionsnehmerin

Artelia, Hamburg

Auszeichnungen

  • Shortlist DAM-Preis 2023
  • Shell Gold Retailer of the Year 2023
  • Nominierung Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekturpreis 2023
  • Anerkennungspreis Architektenkammer Thüringen 2022

Iba Projektleiterin