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Continuity and Contrast – A New Command Center for the Mannheim Police

  • Control centers
  • Office Environments
  • Existing Buildings
  • Ergonomics
  • Historic Preservation
  • Sustainability

The Mannheim Police Headquarters is one of the largest in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It serves nearly one million residents across Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the Rhein-Neckar metro region. At the heart of its operations is the Command and Control Center (FLZ), which coordinates patrol units and manages the flow of information – handling over 50,000 emergency calls annually and triggering more than 750 police deployments per day on average.

Bauaufgabe
Neubau eines Führungs- und Lagezentrums (FLZ)
Location
Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg
Client
Landesbetrieb Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg
Gross Area
1.125 m²
Service Phases (HOIA)
1–8
Completion
2022
Partnership
1:1 Schliessler + Valentsik Architekten GmbH, LPH 5-8

Located in the city center, the headquarters occupies more than half of one of Mannheim’s iconic urban “Quadrate.” The new addition replaces a rooftop level originally added in the 1950s. While maintaining the overall roof typology, the new structure asserts itself as a contemporary element – deliberately set apart from the ornamented historic façade below.

The two corner towers, preserved in their postwar simplicity, have been slightly raised. New floor-spanning, vertical-format windows visually tie the towers back into a cohesive whole and accentuate their vertical expression. The new sandstone cladding echoes the historic façade in tone and materiality but signals a modern approach through its scale and finish. Where a gabled pediment once topped the central section, a new dormer now completes the composition – reviving its original formal purpose while providing daylighting to the interior.

The new spaces provide optimal conditions for the FLZ’s round-the-clock operations. At the heart of the addition is the radio communications room – a core functional space that is centrally placed to ensure short paths and clear lines of sight to adjacent areas, including administration and personnel rooms. On the courtyard-facing side, the room cantilevers outward to gain the spatial depth required for nine dispatch workstations and a large display wall.

A generously sized skylight brings natural daylight deep into the space, while an integrated shading system ensures glare-free working conditions – essential for the intensive 24-hour use.

Photo Credits: Meike Hansen, archimage

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