The emergence of the new building

At the German Emigration Center, hammering, drilling, and pouring concrete took place. In total, about 40 companies contributed their best efforts to successfully complete the new building. There were only a few days left until the first visitors would leave their marks in the “new” German Emigration Center: the first curious step into the expanded museum building, the first time listening to new emotional stories, and the first encounters with new objects. The construction work began at the end of 2019. Project manager Lüder Meyer from the Hamburg architectural firm Andreas Heller Architects & Designers oversaw the construction project. The construction management was taken over in early 2021 by Laura Paraschiv from Andreas Heller Architects & Designers. She coordinates the craftsmanship to meet the established schedule and achieve successful results. Every brick, every window, and every step had to be placed exactly where it was specified in the planning. “The building must not only stand on its own at the end but must also function,” explains Lüder Meyer.

Laura Paraschiv and Lüder Meyer are working together on the new building of the German Emigration Center.
The exchange between the construction management team and the executing specialists is particularly important—challenges are solved together. Laura Paraschiv and Lüder Meyer not only discuss amongst themselves but also rely on the opinions of the executing craftsmen—their practical background knowledge in the construction industry is very helpful for the work on site. This mutual appreciation and friendly interaction is significant for Laura Paraschiv—an experience she has not encountered on any other construction site before. She considers the work surrounding the new building to be something very special.
Communication among the team is characterized not only by respect but also by internationality. Romanian, German, and English are just three of the six languages heard on the construction site. The young construction manager, who was born in Romania, greatly values this diversity within the team. She sees the different languages as a significant enrichment for communication with one another. Any uncertainties can be directly clarified due to the wide range of languages, preventing misunderstandings from arising in the first place.
Lüder Meyer and Laura Paraschiv look forward to the moment of the new building’s opening with great anticipation. They have witnessed the ongoing development of the new building with their own eyes, but on June 26, 2021, they will be able to view the completed museum building as a whole for the first time—the initial design of the new building has become a reality. “For us as architects, the reopening is the greatest reward—that is the goal we have been working towards for so long,” says the construction manager enthusiastically. After all, the new building is a project into which Laura Paraschiv and Lüder Meyer, together with the team of the German Emigration Center, have invested much passion and energy.