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The project site is a large grassy field atop an embankment overlooking the Werre River and its flood plain. The site must remain primarily undeveloped due to the location of four major aquifer wells and adjoining underground piping. Water is pumped from the aquifer into a pair of concentric holding tanks with inflow and outflow regulators. The water is subsequently distributed to the city supply lines. Adjacent rooms are required for distribution control, record keeping, water quality monitoring, purification systems, staff amenities, and mechanical and electrical systems. A second phase filtration building is anticipated within five to ten years due to expected deterioration of aquifer water quality. It would be located adjacent to the pump room and would circulate and filter the water before it is sent to the holding tanks. The building will be seen by recreational and commercial users of the river and symbolizes the quality of services provided by the municipality.

The functional arrangement was seen as an opportunity for a vertical composition with spatial connection between the basement pump room, the above-ground water storage tank and the second level distribution control room. These three objects are rendered in materials that vary in texture and transparency. They are then woven together with balcony and stair connections. The water tank geometry is a sliced cylinder clad in corrugated aluminum. This cladding peels away from the cylinder in opposing directions to engage the central space and contain the stairway. The stair which connects personnel to all floor levels takes on symbolic meaning as it penetrates the ground plane while lifting toward the sky. This gesture implies the connection of two water sources, the underground aquifer and the ever-present rain clouds of Northern Germany.

Energy efficiency is a priority for the client. The south facing ‘wintergarten’ allows passive solar gain in the pump room. The roof is designed to be self-ventilating for summer cooling and also contains a grid of photovoltaic cells which both diffuse light entering the space and convert sunlight to electricity for the lighting needs of the building.