At the interface between the city and its urbanised suburban surroundings, a new mixed-use residential quarter has been created on a 14,900-square-metre site, combining the advantages of urban living with the appeal of living close to nature. The development comprises approximately 21,200 square metres of above-ground gross floor area and 6,900 square metres below ground.
The ensemble of eight buildings creates distinct urban and garden-facing sides through a differentiated composition of building volumes and heights. Two prominent buildings along Hildesheimer Straße open the quarter towards the city with a mix of uses: commercial and restaurant spaces on the ground floor, a representative entrance area, apartments on the intermediate floors, and three office floors at the top of the buildings. Towards the rear, six smaller point-block buildings are arranged as exclusively residential buildings facing the Leine meadows, offering a high standard of living. With its coherent architectural language, the ensemble establishes a clear urban presence within the previously heterogeneous and diffuse built environment.
“The guiding principle of our design is to connect urbanity and nature within a single quarter. The project therefore develops in two directions: on the garden side, the natural landscape of the Leine meadows becomes the setting for a distinctive residential environment. On the city-facing side, the quarter connects to Hildesheimer Straße through two large volumes and a new urban square. Here, a typically urban mix of commercial uses, restaurants, offices and apartments is planned.”
Max Dudler
Along Hildesheimer Straße, the design responds to the height of the eight-storey residential buildings to the south and rises towards the centre of the square to form an eleven-storey tower. By setting the buildings back from Hildesheimer Straße, the development opens up a new public square that serves as the entrance to the quarter. The dimensions of the point-block buildings deliberately relate to the neighbouring villa.
Within the ensemble, a network of lanes, public squares and private gardens encourages social interaction and creates a lively residential environment. Additional private outdoor spaces are provided by the loggias, which are incorporated into all apartments in the point-block buildings, as well as by terraces created through carefully positioned setbacks and oriented towards interesting views. The single-storey underground car park allows for an attractive, car-free residential environment.
The ensemble is conceived as a reinforced-concrete structure complemented by load-bearing interior walls made of sand-lime brick. The use of two different façade materials emphasises the individual character of the building volumes while contributing to the overall articulation of the ensemble.
The buildings along Hildesheimer Straße are clad in anthracite-coloured brick, referencing the materiality of the neighbouring Würfel Brewery. Tapering pilasters lend the brick façades a subtle vertical articulation. On the tower, this profiling intensifies into a folded crown that defines the upper termination of the building.
The point-block buildings at the rear feature an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) façade clad in green-glazed brick slips. The brick surfaces form a calm, uniform plane, while horizontal floor bands in a concrete finish create sculptural accents and lend the buildings a distinctive three-dimensional quality. Recessed reveals rhythmically articulate the façades, folding alternately into the façade piers from floor to floor. The point-block buildings bordering the Leine meadows are distinguished by half-columns on every axis, giving the façades a strong vertical articulation.
The material concept combines robust, low-maintenance surfaces with differentiated plasticity, creating a coherent yet faceted appearance. In this way, the quarter establishes a strong urban presence along the street while responding sensitively to the green character of its rear side.
