Fürholzen: Architecture at the motorway service area

A stop at the motorway is a pure necessity: more or less pleasant toilets, gray petrol pumps, a standardized tank shop, faceless catering areas. The situation on the A9 between Nuremberg and Munich has been different since 2017: Fürholzen West, the "most modern rest area in Europe" (planned by Allmann Sattler Wappner Architects), invites you to enjoy architecture with its friendly design. One reason for the Federal Foundation for Building Culture to present the building.

The roof runs over the petrol pumps and flows into the double-pitched saddle roof of the catering area.

Light wood and white supports create a relaxing atmosphere. The finely fitted metal roof covering traces the linear structure of the floating roof and makes the dynamic spatial effect perceptible from all angles. The shape of the boom represents dynamism and mobility. The shop and rest area are located in an open glass cube under the roof structure and appear friendly and welcoming. Listed wooden houses for sanitary, production and social areas create a connection to the regional construction through their material. Wild wine as facade greening underlines the sustainable and energetic demands of the entire system.

The shop and the Fürholzen West rest area are located in an open glass cube and are friendly and welcoming.

Photo: Tank & Rast Gruppe-Sabrina Ginter / Federal Foundation for Building Culture

In addition to the architecture, the energy concept is also unusual: With its own block power station and 7, 200 square meters of photovoltaics, the system is usually energy self-sufficient. In addition to petrol and diesel, the petrol pumps deliver natural gas and hydrogen for alternative drives. Fast charging stations for e-mobiles are housed under a round extra roof. Of course, the construction of the 1, 700-square-meter facility with around 280 parking spaces for trucks, buses, cars and trailers took up a lot of space. It is comforting, after all, that a 300 square meter playground and a fitness zone have also been set up on the premises.

To the Federal Foundation for Building Culture

The foundation is an independent institution that advocates high-quality planning and construction. It thus pursues the goal of making the entire environment a common concern as an essential factor for quality of life.