ul class="overview_list " id="projectList">

  • New Tirana City Hall

    Designing the New City Hall for Tirana offers a unique opportunity to shape the home of the current and future community, and to represent the values of the people of Tirana. The building should introduce a typology that reflects and outlines the features of Tirana as a diverse, inclusive, human and connected European capital. A manifesto for a City Hall 2.0, open to all. The goal is to provide a space for a genuine encounter between civil society, administrators and politicians, to encourage debates.

    The building comprises an efficient ring with offices that surrounds a collective atrium, which is composed of extroverted and interconnected volumes that provide space for a dynamic set of functions for both the city administration and the public. The City Hall is fronted by a civic square, a new public space which is conceived as an open-air community centre that houses many different functions for every type of use and age. Minimized energy consumption, the use of natural and efficient technologies and local renewable energy generation makes the New City Hall the first zero carbon emission building in Albania. The main structural parts of the ring office are made of locally available, sustainable wood, with the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral building even in construction.

    Idea
    2020
    Tirana
    Albania

  • Düsseldorf VIERZIG549

    The colourful life!

    In the middle of the Vierzig549 quarter, the "heart" of the entire area is being created, a lively meeting place with a high quality of stay and programmatic diversity; the pacesetter for "The colourful life". The different building types „high-rise" (wooden hybrid), „courtyard house", and point house are designed as a coherent ensemble. The mix of commercial and residential uses promotes the urban character of the area. In particular, the programming of the ground floors, which ranges from commercial to Live+Work to mezzanine living, contributes to this. However, with the exception of the ground floors, the buildings are used for either residential or commercial purposes to allow clear and easy circulation.

    The green "urban grove" with park character and the multifunctional "square" complete the building structure. With their different atmospheres, they create a spatial and qualitative diversity in the quarter. Rainwater management is based on natural circulatory systems. Intensive green roofs (and extensive under the PV systems) delay runoff and encourage evaporation. An improvement in the local microclimate is expected through the systematic use and infiltration of rainwater in the open space. The inner area is car-free.

    The design of the building is guided by the image of urban architecture with echoes of the history of the area. The façade grid is robust and reminiscent of industrial building types. It is used as a base layer for all buildings and thus combines the different types of high-rise building, courtyard building, and point building as an ensemble. At the same time, the grid allows flexible filling depending on use and orientation as well as individualization for recognition value. The structural concept consistently relies on recyclable building materials and sustainable construction with wood.

    in progress
    Düsseldorf
    Germany

  • Aquarium Bay Hotel

    Grounded on rich Albanian heritage.

    Aquarium Bay Hotel is designed based on the concept of sustainable tourism. The hotel comprises four separate pavilions, offering different experiences to their guests. Each pavilion has a distinct architectural language and shelters an inner courtyard with a specific and unique character. The four buildings contrast with their surroundings, as a way to accentuate and respect the outstanding local landscape. This landscape of rolling seaside hilltops covered in Mediterranean scrub, as well as the remote location, are considered two of the strongest, unique ‚assets' of the hotel.

    The approach to the hotel - by car, boat and helicopter but also by foot and bicycle – is carefully orchestrated, as it forms the start of the customers' journey. Internal circulation is organized by a series of footpaths, - a seaside path, a forest path and a main ‚barefoot' path - making for a sensory experience. The central lobby pavilion provides direct access to the spa, restaurants, conference rooms and casino. Additionally, atmospheric facilities like the plunge pool, the bonfire area, the botanical garden and the rock pool add to the guest experience. The most remote volume houses a small restaurant and bar that allows this building to be operated independent from the others, thus maximizing the privacy of its guests.

     

    Idea
    2019
    Himarë
    Albania

  • New Istropolis

    CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP design a new cultural district for Bratislava, Slovakia. Trnavské mýto will house a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue and the area will be transformed into a modern open neighbourhood including a series of green and public areas.

    Immocap, the owner of Istropolis, has presented its vision of New Istropolis, developed in cooperation with the international architectural studios KCAP and CITYFÖRSTER. The project aims to bring Bratislava a world-class multifunctional cultural and social centre with top-level architecture, creating a long deserved cultural landmark for the Slovakian capital.

    The new multifunctional hall enables Istropolis to meet Bratislava's real needs and leverage the potential of Trnavské mýto, and will foster cultural and congress tourism. New Istropolis offers the capacity to host various events simultaneously, such as acoustic, rock, jazz, pop concerts, numerous events and cultural events, and conferences and congresses of all sizes. The hall will be able to hold three different events simultaneously and have a maximum capacity of 3000 seats and 5000 combined seats for sitting and standing. The unique in-the-round seating configuration brings the audience close to the stage, creating a sense of intimacy and connection with the performers.

    Trnavské mýto is a key location in Bratislava in terms of pedestrian movement, traffic, and potential contribution to urban development. The project aims to bring new life to this important part of the city that has been neglected too long. Besides the world-class cultural venue, there will be a park with promenade, fountains, and cycle paths. Public areas will be accessible to visitors throughout the day, while the square will support and develop community activities such as seasonal markets.

    in progress
    Trnavské mýto 1
    831 04 Bratislava
    Slovakia

  • Recyclinghaus

    The recyclinghouse is an experimental residential building in the Hanover district of Kronsberg. It is a prototype that tests the possibilities and potentials of various types of recycling in the real laboratory and shows a cycle-oriented and resource-saving planning approach.

    On the one hand, the recycling center relies on recyclable building products, such as the raw construction made of glue-free solid wood elements. On the other hand, recycled materials such as the foundation made of recycled concrete or wall insulations made from old jute bags are used. There are also large quantities of used components being used which, if possible, originate from the building stock of the client GUNDLACH or have been obtained locally. Particularly important is a recycling-fair design that allows the use and disassembly of the components without loss of quality or a sorted separation of the materials after the end of life.

    The construction industry is one of the largest waste producers and consumers of resources and a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions. When planning buildings, today it is mainly the energy consumption in the operation of a building that is considered. The considerable amounts of "gray energy" involved in the production of buildings remain largely unconsidered. Here, the existing building stock can also be understood as huge raw material storage. The recycling of building materials and materials as well as recycling-friendly construction methods will play an increasingly important role in the future.

    completed
    2019
    30539 Hanover
    Germany

  • Orange Headquarters Mali

    Bamako is in a phase of rapid urban development, with the population growing expansively; telecommunications are an integral part of this growth and are a marker for upward social mobility. The height, visibility, and clean volume of the new Orange Mali Headquarters express this situation, thus creating a landmark for the new, mobile urban class.

    At the same time, the building sets the bar for offices and urban planning in Bamako, by creating a zero-energy building that incorporates greenery and improves the working environment of the Orange employees. The new Orange HQ is surrounded by a public garden, a layout that makes the office building more accessible and simultaneously creates a social space for gatherings and events. The green spaces continue into the interior of the new office building as a sequence of open terraces. By using 'stacked' office floors, and by interspacing these with high-quality open spaces, employees feel more connected and floorplans can be optimized.

    The iconic, geometrical 'zig-zag' exterior is the result of a smart and site-specific design, avoiding direct sunlight on the facade.

    in progress
    2019
    Bamako
    Mali

  • Bar Center Fier

    Building on existing structures.

    The plot of Bar Center in Fier (Albania), located next to our projects Rinia Complex and Building Block on a central urban intersection and adjacent to an inner-city park, was occupied by an existing building from the late 1990s. This building – the plinth of an unfinished high-rise, which stood at three storeys high – was unassuming and unfitting for this prominent location; therefore, the owners approached us to extend the building and upgrade the existing floors. So we used the volume of the existing building as a starting point for the design.

    The addition activates the upper floors and makes them directly accessible from the new main square of Fier, to which the building now prominently orientates. The result is a stepped five-storey volume enclosed in a geometrical, rasterized façade. This geometrical façade, in turn, is partially clad in semi-transparent golden shading sheets, which function as a screen against the sunlight. Additionally, they bring more unity to the building's appearance. The volume, whose two newly added floors contain a publicly accessible rooftop bar with views over Fier, offers an urban topography that serves the city as a whole.

    completed
    Fier
    Albania

  • Green, greener, Pelikan

    The design sets the urban development capstone for the Pelikanviertel. The original factory premises, the Neikes buildings, the FOUR and the "green, greener PELIKAN" - each stand alone and at the same time relate to each other. The self-similarity of the five buildings creates a strong, characterful unit that responds individually to its neighbourhood.

    Each of the five L-shaped buildings consists of a two-piece "bar" and a "head", which is formed by the accentuation of the high points by means of pyramid-like roofs and represents the prelude to the quarter. The roofs allow the maximum utilization of the plots and increase the recognition value. The range of uses offers variety - from green living, or mansard apartments with roof gardens, to hybrid studio apartments, to a variety of forms of use on the ground floor, which gives the street a unique character. The green oases in the courtyards provide a retreat and are the centrepiece of the design. Intensive greening of the balconies and facades form vertical gardens and, in addition to privacy, sun and noise protection, provide high-quality open space with privacy despite relatively dense development.

    completed
    2018
    30177 Hannover
    Deutschland

  • Vocational College of Machinery and Irrigation - VCMI (Vietnam)

    The design of the VCMI campus is based on sustainable principles in order to handle climate and urban challenges the area is exposed to. The masterplan aims for a clear functional zoning which allows future growth. The area reserved for sports can provide a diverse offer, as an educational complement for the students, but also space, passive to be rented, so the school can reinforce economical sustainability. The proposed area dedicated to teaching and training will allow VCMI to multiply its current offer. The Campus is organized around a cooling pond which is the centre of the water treatment concept: Collected rain water can be extracted for the use of grey water in the buildings. Complementing the new expansion is also forecast a Centre of Excellence for Green TVET, an institution that is inscribed in the scope of the Vietnamese-German Financial Cooperation. The junction of these two institutions will trigger synergy effects, unlocking the campus true potential, towards the aim of establishing themselves as one of the forefront regional institutions, but also contribute needed tools, to a resilient climate change in Vietnam.

    in progress
    2015
    Hiep Hoa, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, Vietnam
    Dong Nai
    Vietnam

  • Drymades Village

    Located in Drymades beach, the holiday resort Drymades Village is composed of a series of stepped courtyards framed by architecture blending the project into a cohesive village feeling. Following the topography with a 15-meter height difference, the architecture articulates the ground levels to the stepped courtyards bringing an introverted feeling, while on the three upper floors, the units incorporate extended terraces and balconies, expanding the public life to all the levels.

    Typologically the villas are approached by the study of the predominant architecture of the location and the aim to find a different output to a resort project where individualization breaks a monotonous design. The iconic image of the Mediterranean villages will be communicated in the architecture with pre-determined elements, such as roofs and facades that compose a catalogue to personalize the villas. Mainly three differently sized units form the masterplan varying from studio units to large family units. They can also be joined horizontally and vertically, widening the possibilities for future owners.

    In total, six plazas are interlaced to each other, forming a large interior courtyard that articulates the private with the public space through openings in the architecture. Located at different heights and alternating one to the other, they open up the views of the seafront and offer a range of activities to the visitors. The main approach for the landscape is to keep as much as possible existing vegetation. The landscape changes its composition from a dense forest in the lowest part of the plot to an urban plaza in the highest part. Native species (cypress and olive trees), and plants with low maintenance (Bougainvillea, Cacti), constitute the selected vegetation.

    in progress
    Drymades
    Albania