Creation and implementation of a fire protection concept/fire protection plan as part of the renovation of a listed town hall

The city of Braunschweig, represented by Struktur-Förderung Braunschweig GmbH, is planning an extensive renovation of the building fabric and technical building equipment of the Braunschweig City Hall, which was built in 1965.

The renovation of the Stadthalle Braunschweig was decided by the city of Braunschweig years ago. In 2016, planning was started to make the necessary preparations for a renovation. In 2018, the town hall was placed under monument protection and the planning was adapted accordingly. There is a building permit for the renovation of the Stadthalle Braunschweig from 2020, which was extended in 2023. In 2021, the project was stopped after a failed award attempt. For the resumption of the project, it was decided to discard the previous idea of a total contractor award and to realize the project in individual and package awards.

Since both regional and global premises have changed during the years of the planning freeze, some essential points of planning need to be reviewed.

In particular this concerns:

• Review and possible adaptation of the existing planning, taking into account current urban guidelines and technical regulations

• Correction of possible inadequate or uneconomical planning approaches

• Optimization of the qualities in coordination with the client, taking into account economic aspects for implementation and operation

• Planning and detailing in close coordination with the monument protection authorities

From the current point of view, a critical review and adjustment of the approval planning in the following areas is considered useful by the client:

• Review of safety and fire protection relevant topics against the background of monument preservation restrictions, such as the current solution of the evacuation of the Great Hall and the foyer below the staircases on the left and right

• Examination and revision of the break-out rooms on level E2 of the current restaurant according to the requirements of the operator

• Examination of possible relocation of the currently planned position of the sprinkler tank under the west façade of the building

• Development of a viable solution for smoke extraction in central areas

Variants of these points are to be proposed from an economic and sustainable point of view and presented in terms of planning and costs. These decision documents are discussed with the client in order to determine whether or not they will be included in the planning with the necessary effects.

From the current point of view, an adjustment of the approval planning in the following areas is considered imperative:

• Integration of regenerative concepts for energy generation with a focus on sustainable operation

• Integration of areas that have not yet been worked on into the planning, such as the area of the hall kitchen

• Renovation of the roof structure, taking into account the load-bearing capacity, installation of regenerative technical systems, possible retention areas and monument protection concerns

• Optimized solution proposals for detailed solutions in accordance with the requirements of historical monuments, such as façade connections, integration of existing handles into escape doors, acoustic and fire protection-relevant upgrading of wall panels, thermal issues, etc.

• Development of a viable solution for smoke extraction in central areas

Since the entire planning is subject to the restrictions of monument protection, a special focus is placed on the constant optimisation of contemporary use in favour of the listed substance during the renovation of the town hall. As part of the renovation, the key to long-term sustainable operation of the building as an economically oriented venue is the optimal balance of state-of-the-art technical building equipment, preservation of the listed identity and the integration of good solutions in fire protection.

The task of the contractor is to develop a fire protection concept together with the object planners and the specialist planners of the TGA, which allows an optimal implementation of the requirements against the background of the monument preservation restrictions. The basis for the contractor is the fire protection concept that has already been approved. Various optimizations are to be made, whereby the current prioritization will certainly have to be verified again in some cases.

In this context, all planning services necessary for the project must be provided by the contractor. This includes all the services required for the success of the project. According to AHO publication series no. 17 "Services for fire protection under building regulations", this is service phase 5 implementation planning and service phase 8 construction supervision (presumably all standard services as well as optional services in some cases). In doing so, it will also be necessary for the contractor to provide limited services from service phases 3 and 4 in accordance with AHO publication series no. 17, as the planners in some areas will also take over inspections in service phases that have already been completed. As part of its activities, the contractor advises the planning team in all aspects of fire protection and, among other things, also prepares the submission of a tecture of the fire protection concept. An overview of the planned further specialist planners and the planned project entry is given at the end of the document.

In addition to coordinating with the other technical parties involved in the planning, close coordination with the operators of the Stadthalle or the operator's specialist planners is also necessary. The focus is therefore not only on the investment, but also on the long-term operation of the Stadthalle Braunschweig.

The above points are not to be understood as exhaustive. If, during the examination of the existing design planning and the fire protection concept or in the further course of planning, it is determined that further economic and sustainable optimizations can be generated within the framework of the renovation of the town hall, this must be communicated to the client without being asked to do so that the feasibility can be evaluated.

The client assumes that the revision of the present approval plan will require the submission of a tecture. This is the responsibility of the object planning and requires the cooperation and supplementation of the contractor. The fire protection concept, which must also be submitted as part of the tecture, is developed by the contractor.

With the completion of the fire protection concept and the consultation of the planners on the optimal implementation of the concept in planning and construction, the contractor is also expected to participate in the tendering, awarding and construction process in an advisory capacity due to the intertwined processes. It cannot be ruled out that the refurbishment will require adjustments during the implementation period. Here, attention will probably be paid to the design of escape doors or similar, for which sensible solutions must be found in monument protection that are both feasible and acceptable.

For commissioning and acceptance, the creation of the fire control matrix together with the specialist planner TGA will also be part of the contractor's task.