Traffic and special-purpose buildings

The Dresden Correctional Facility complex is mostly located in the south-eastern part of the site, taking account of the required distance between building and wall so that the greatest possible separation between the building and the rubbish dump to the north-west was achieved.

In principle, the complex was divided into 4 sectors:
·institution I
·institution II
·central jointly used areas
(entrance, administration, kitchen, health services)
·the collective leisure facilities

A clear separation between the necessary vehicular traffic (deliveries) and - on the other hand - walking-distance foot traffic between the collective, jointly used central areas and the accommodation buildings was achieved in the proposed design making use of the topographic conditions.

The building position implies a spatial distance between the central building and the accommodation buildings, which is justified by various functional aspects (safety, employment requirements etc.).  The prisoners' life normally takes place in the restricted spatial conglomerate of workshops, accommodation and leisure facilities.

For these confinement areas, a structurally more strongly introverted solution was proposed.  In doing so, the atrium motif was taken up as a repeating element.

Despite the necessity for a strictly organised and regimented prison, which was also to be mirrored in its building structure, there was still a requirement for ensuring structural humane dimensions and scales within this system.  The intention of the proposed introverted structure avoids the "Alcatraz effect - freedom is so near but not accessible".  Concentration on smaller but pleasantly designed units also has economical advantages in addition to the psychological effects.