Robert Potz

The topic of the diploma was: town repair - corner Kleverstrasse/Gregorstrasse - the task existed in the search of an appropriate solution for this place, both in regard of town construction and thematically as well.

The direct proximity of the site to the springs of Burtscheid, which - together with the Aachen springs - have repeatedly and over many centuries, given important impulses to the place lead to the idea of designing a museum of thermal springs.

Such a museum should clarify both the

- geological, medical and historical aspects of the thermal springs of Aachen and Burtscheid and the

- structurally and spatially phenomenon of the hot springs as well.

The catchment area of the thermal waters is south of Aachen on the northern edge of the Venn, where the groundwater level is about 100 meters higher than in the basin of Aachen.

At this level the precipitation water seeps off on almost 3000 m, where an average temperature of 130°C prevails.

From there it rises along a geological vault within a powerful limestone course from the Devonian (approx. 400 millions years old) and comes up under pressure, that can be explained by the pressure gradient between catchment area and the discharge positions in several places in Aachen and Burtscheid.

The layer structure of the limestone banks which developed many million years ago from sea deposits and the vertical rising of the thermal water from almost 3000 m depth, I have tried to transfer into various strong wall screens, rising up from the soil and covered by "Aachener Blaustein". This ranks to the devonian limestones, which the limestone course consists of.

The exhibition is situated between the wall screens, on three different overlaying and "perforated" levels from which two are situated in the underground, where the geological and historical aspects will be explained.

The perforated levels enable a view through the lower and upper levels and allow daylight to flow in gradated values into the lower parts.

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