Description

Urban context

Characteristic factory buildings in an abandoned industrial area that were
suitable for conversion into living space were supplemented by new buildings in
a collage of old and new to create an ensemble of slabs. The development is
composed of four parallel slabs of buildings circa eighty meters long and the
lanes between the buildings, the most southern of which was the historical
central hall of the old foundry. This simple and lucid order is differentiated
spatially by means of niches, plazas, and systems of paths that penetrate the
site crosswise. On the ground floor public passageways connect the various sides
of the building. The result is a rich field of characteristic sites that
contrast interestingly with the rough charm of the largely preserved factory
buildings and set the tone for the surrounding living environment.

Ground-floor zone

The closely set buildings produce a linear sequence of spaces that are further
emphasized in the exterior spaces by the design of the open areas. Birches have
been planted in close-set groups along the slabs of buildings, resulting in a
sparse filter of vegetation that shields against sun and views inside.
Differences in height, stepped entrance areas, and variations in the materials
on the surfaces, adapted to the particular situations, create special
transitional spaces and distancing between public, semipublic, and private
areas. Branching between the slabs is a varied but clear network of lanes and
squares. Access routes to the site and its public areas have been paved with
large natural paving stones, while the more intimate exterior spaces between the
residential slabs have gravel paths. The result is a small patch of city, at
once intimate and urban.

Building structure

This slab structure houses 120 residential units with a spectrum of more than
twenty-five apartment types: maisonette apartments with front yards or roof
terraces, unconventional full-floor apartments with central kitchen islands,
studios with a large living hall, and lofts with rooms for children. All the
apartments have private outdoor spaces. The two western slabs are accessed via
stairwells, while the two eastern ones are accessed via galleries from the iron
foundry building. The enormous landmark foundry building offers a covered
outdoor space as a site for contact with neighbors and is available for a
variety of uses to contribute to social life in the development.

Facade

In order to heighten the typical monolithic look of the volumes on the factory
site, the balconies are integrated into the smooth facades as retracted loggias
or verandas. Only on the eastern slab are there balconies that project over the
facade. On the slab to the west of that, two-story loggia portals serve as
passageways but are also available for use as private open spaces and make it
possible to orient the apartments in three directions. In the context of old and
new, the residential buildings produce a striking urban ensemble with robust
tectonics that will stand up well to use.

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Originally published in: Ulrike Wietzorrek, Housing+: On Thresholds, Transitions, and Transparencies, Birkhäuser, 2014.