Emigration Center, Bremerhaven

This museum building’s custom façade design shows portraits of immigrants and emigrants, sparking curiosity about the exhibition in passers-by.

Tracking emigration stories can be like searching for pieces of a puzzle. The façade of the extension to the emigration center in Bremen exudes this: the museum traces the stories of German emigrants and immigrants. The façade was designed by Hamburg-based studio Andreas Heller Architects & Designers using paneled concrete elements. 

Portraits of emigrants and immigrants are embedded into the concrete elements, becoming obvious in the light as they invite passers-by to slow down and take a look. RECKLI textured formliners from the UNIQUE and VISUALS series were used to implement this custom façade. For the random arrangement of protruding and receding squares on the façade, custom formliners were created to the architecture firm’s and the developer’s specifications. The portraits were completed using photographic formliners from the VISUALS series. 

A particular challenge: the client requested that individual photos were adjusted to fit the special shapes, and even needed to be exchangeable so that various portraits can be applied to the façade. The elements have been installed onto a curtain façade. The concrete was lightened with white cement and complies with exposed concrete class 4.