Schell, Rainer

Architect, Designer

born: 11.07.1917 in Bautzen

died: 18.04.2000 in Weilheim in Upper Bavaria

After his release from captivity as a prisoner of war in 1947, Schell began studying architecture and working at the Technical University of Karlsruhe. There he received the Golden Weinbrenner Medal for an award-winning design and became a master student of Professor Egon Eiermann (1904-70). He married Edelgard Schaeffer-Heyrothsberge, whose father, the Magdeburg architect Paul Schaeffer-Heyrothsberge, had opened his office in Wiesbaden after the Second World War, also chose Wiesbaden and started an exceptionally successful office here in 1952 for commercial buildings, administrative buildings such as the ESWE high-rise and the Brenninkmeyer (C&A) and Hertie department stores.

He realized over 250 buildings and won prizes in 60 competitions. He worked with very low budgets and inexpensive materials, in contrast to the glamor of the "economic miracle" at the time. As state chairman of the Association of German Architects in Hesse (1965-67), he fought for the independence of his profession.

For Wiesbaden, he is the architect who built the most modern churches: Erlöserkirche in Kastel (1963), Thomaskirche (1964), Versöhnungskirche (1965) and the Stephanuskirche in Amöneburg (1965). The house he designed for his family at Kloppenheimer Steige 11 shows his preferred combination of brick and exposed concrete. Outside Wiesbaden, his projects included the Stadthalle Göttingen (1961-64), the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz (1963-68), the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn (1962-67) and the Dommuseum Xanten (1975-80).

Schell also designed furniture to match his buildings with great success. In collaboration with the furniture company Schlapp in Neu-Anspach, he developed SERIE 64 in 1964 - a range of contract furniture tailored to the market and requirements, which was developed and expanded product by product. Youth hostels, libraries, retirement homes, schools, kindergartens, universities, church facilities and living areas were furnished with it.

In 1981, he retired as an architect and moved to Weilheim in Upper Bavaria, where he devoted himself to drawing and watercolor painting.