for the canopy over the Zollverein coke oven battery in Essen
With the German Design Award, the German Design Council honors achievements of international standing in the fields of product, communication, and architectural design.
For the upcoming awards ceremony in February 2027, the protective roof designed by JSWD for the coke oven battery at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site in Essen has been nominated in the “Excellent Architecture – Public” category. The competition was organized by the Zollverein Foundation.
The approximately 600-meter-long roof structure is intended primarily to protect the industrial monument from the elements. Our design preserves the historic character of the industrial relic through only minimal interventions in the existing structure. Between the dominant coal silos, six individual roofs with delicate edges and slightly rounded corners are to be created, following the rhythm of the preserved gas flares. Perforations the size of furnace lids ensure natural lighting for the usable and accessible areas below.
In the spring of 2026, the concept we developed in collaboration with the structural engineers at Kevee was awarded first prize by the jury.