Anyone entering the Union-Gelände on Hanauer Landstraße is greeted by a structure that charmingly defies every expectation of an ordinary gatehouse. It's not an interchangeable container or a sterile, by-the-book utilitarian building. Instead, here stands a small, crooked monolith of Corten steel. A sculptural solitaire that deliberately contrasts with the strict right angles of its surroundings [...]
Architects Alexandra Geiseler and Bernd Gergull have created a true one-of-a-kind here that only reveals its full impact on closer inspection. The Corten steel facade is a living material: in the first months after installation, it independently formed a protective oxide layer that today makes the building glow in a warm, deep earthy tone. Especially when the low-lying sun hits the metal skin, the little house transforms into a radiant, orange anchor point between the historic brick walls.
What's special about this „rusty gate“ is its indestructibility. The material doesn't just age—it matures. The weather here is not an enemy, but a shaper, making the surface more beautiful and characterful with each passing year. Despite its slanted, almost defiant form, the interior offers a surprising sense of security. It's a „real“ house in a confined space, offering its inhabitants shelter and signaling to visitors: Here begins a place where individuality and stubbornness are welcome.
At this point, architecture becomes an attitude. The gatehouse is a small guardian teaching us that you don't always have to stand perfectly straight to show a strong presence. A crooked reception that perfectly suits the soul of the Union: rough, honest, and absolutely unmistakable.
