Current environmental problems, structural changes and subsequent use of the former sacred architecture: the extent to which the Eberbach Monastery is threatened by loss of substance is most evident in the area of the cloister of the former Cistercian abbey. As part of their Master's thesis in the winter semester 2024/25, students on the Master of Science in Architecture | Building Revitalization and Transformation (M.Sc.) program at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences were tasked with developing a sustainable architectural solution to protect the historic fabric of the cloister, the monastery courtyard and the adjoining rooms.
The focus was on restoring the two demolished wings of the cloister while incorporating the area of the courtyard. The eight best works by the students on the subject of the cloister can be seen in the chapter house of Eberbach Monastery from April 24 to May 5, 2025. "We are proud and pleased about the long-standing collaboration between the higher education institution and the Eberbach Monastery Foundation, which began in 2017 with designs for the grounds of the Eberbach Monastery Hotel," said Sebastian Macho, member of the Eberbach Monastery Foundation's Board of Directors, at the opening of the exhibition. "The students' unadulterated view and creative approach are extremely valuable and inspiring for us as a foundation."
"The long-standing cooperation with Kloster Eberbach is an outstanding example of practical teaching at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences," adds Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Kanz, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences. "The close cooperation with the Eberbach Monastery Foundation gives our students the opportunity to deal with real architectural issues and embed their designs in a historical context. This successful development underlines the quality of our training."
"Eberbach Monastery is a source of inspiration"
Prof. Andreas Fuchs, Professor of Building Materials, Building Construction and Design, said: "Eberbach Monastery is a source of inspiration for exciting architectural tasks, a place where historic buildings now meet contemporary design approaches. Since the first joint student project between Hochschule RheinMain and the monastery in the winter semester of 2017, there has been a cooperation that led to an international architectural competition in 2021. This winter semester, we are devoting ourselves to the restoration of the cloister. Together with Prof. Christina Jagsch and Prof. Daniel Seiberts, the task of the master's thesis was formulated and the designs were discussed intensively with the students in three thesis defenses. We are looking forward to the exhibition at Kloster Eberbach and the reactions of the visitors. We are excited to see how the history of the cloister will be continued and what new questions will arise for the future."