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

  • Future quarters at Ostpark, Paderborn

    Liveliness makes the city!

    In Paderborn, with the vacancy of the Barker barracks, there is a unique opportunity to create a piece of city that shows solutions to current challenges.

    The green heart, a new open space for Paderborn, forms the central element of the urban planning concept. It complements the local recreation and leisure activities for the entire city, creates points of attraction and brings the residents together. It is also of particular importance for ecological functions such as decentralized, plant-based rainwater management. A total of 18 hectares of green space support the city's biodiversity and climate resilience.

    Strong edges with urban density frame the green centre. They develop the surrounding peripheral areas of the city structurally and functionally. The existing buildings will be converted and integrated into the edges. In doing so, they enrich the neighbourhoods structurally and programmatically.

    A total of three new quarters offer spaces for living, working, meeting and leisure. They complement the neighbouring districts with future-oriented forms of living, learning locations and workplaces. An innovative and resilient energy and heating system make the new quarters climate-positive.

    Mobility is organized sustainably and with as few cars as possible. Therefore, it is connected to today, oriented towards the future, robust and adaptable. The concept serves as a model for future developments in Paderborn. The traffic areas are designed primarily for bicycle and pedestrian traffic; rounded off by a dense public transport network. District garages on the edge of the area guarantee accessibility by car as well, but will gradually become less important in the course of the mobility transition and are accordingly designed to be reusable or easy to dismantle.

    completed
    2021

  • New Kiellinie, Kiel

    The Kielline connects the southern center of Kiel along the Förde with the northern district of Wik. It stages the impressive scenery of the Kieler Förde and is - especially during Kiel Week - a hotspot for events and tourism.

    The Kiellinie is an important place of Kiel's identity as a city by the sea. In order to strengthen this identity, the new Kiellinie represents a connecting open space on all scales for Kiel. It combines city, landscape and water to form an ecosystem. The result increases the well-being of Kiel's people as well as the biodiversity of the flora and fauna of the Förde coast.

    The Kiellinie is divided into three sections with different atmosphere, use and design. In the north, the „Förderküstenbiotop" renaturalizes the shore edge and offers local recreation areas for residents from the neighborhoods. The middle section stages a panoramic view of the water and the opposite neighborhoods. The pulsating mile represents the tourist center and lively heart of the Kiellinie. The different sections are held together by common design elements and form the identity of the Kiellinie. The defining element is the new stone of the shore edge, which continuously stages the topographical edge between water and land. The Kiellinie adapts to the different spatial and programmatic requirements and yet forms a recognizable identity in Kiel's urban space.

    completed
    2022

  • Schönefeld Nord, Schönefeld

    How can a missing piece in the urban puzzle holistically bring together airport, landscape and existing neighborhoods?

    At the border between the capital, the airport and the countryside, Schönefeld's „quarters of landscapes" combines the qualities of a major city with those of the surrounding countryside.The new urban component strengthens the qualities of Schönefeld and qualifies the existing landscape spaces. In the process, a rich urban ecosystem with great biological diversity is created.

    The northern landscape is strengthened and open space qualities are recognized for new residential locations. The starting point is the northern landscape band consisting of the Brandenburg field landscape in the west, the former Wall strip, the Rudow South Park and the Rudow-Altglienicke Landscape Park in the east. A mixed neighborhood forms the southern edge. Here, in the immediate vicinity of the train station, a compact, urban neighborhood with a strong mix of uses is being created.

    Diverse new urban quarters are located in the heart of characteristic open spaces. They create living space for a total of 11,500 new residents of Schoenefeld and 4,000 jobs in the immediate surround-ings of the train station and airport. They are characterized by their direct access to nature, short dis-tances and vibrant urban centers. A wide typological variety and a broad spectrum of public, neighborhood and private open spaces create the foundation for a variety of different forms of housing and lifestyles.

    Idea
    2022

  • Kronsberg South A.2, Hannover

    The city block is structured by two cuts towards the public street. In this way, a community courtyard with neighboring pathways is created. The perimeter block development consists of six residential units and twelve townhouses on the east side. The street-facing brick facades are representative and respond to the importance of the entrance to the quarter. The spacious inner courtyard is zoned into a communal green center, surrounding paths and the private gardens lining the first floor apartments. All building entrances are barrier-free and all apartments are planned to be barrier-free. Each apartment has an outdoor sitting area and a small storage room. The underground parking garage is located in an L-shape under the northern block and is accessible from all staircases of the apartment buildings. There are also 145 bicycle parking spaces, some of which are equipped with charging stations.

    Idea
    2020

  • Tannenberg Quartier, Bremen

    The Tannenberg quarter is characterised by a distinct build framework that forms a clear centre and protects the quarter from traffic noise. An independent ensemble.

    The entrances and views of the quarter integrate into the existing context. The network of paths creates several links to the allotment gardens and the neighbourhood to the west: The Gumbinnenweg with its prominent row of trees becomes the main link for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Private gardens and surrounding garden paths form connecting transitions to the private gardens of the neighbouring residential buildings and the allotment gardens (Klönschnack am Zaun).

    The generous open spaces with dense tree population ("grove") and the various garden areas have a significant influence on the character of the quarter: this is where you live "garden green".

    Idea
    2020

  • circUlar Hall - Green Ring, Mannheim

    The existing U-Hall is the heart of the BUGA. A green ring floats above it as a landmark visible from afar.
    It is a living sculpture that stands for sustainable recycling management, the willingness to experiment and a spirit of optimism.

    This circularly conceived tree hall, brought into the vertical, is not only part of the exhibition, but also a break in the tour and a place for the best views over the entire site. The tree house, built from recycled building materials, provides a habitat for flora and fauna, exhibition opportunities for field research and allows views of the solar power plant on the U-hall. Thus the ring is the central location of the U-Hall. This is where the tours and guided tours start, where people meet and where smaller and larger events take place.

    Idea
    2020

  • Munich North-East, Munich

    How can strong urban growth be reconciled with village structures? A question that is becoming more and more important nowadays.

    In Munich Northeast we orientated our plan to the existing villages, meaning that along the existing and future infrastructures (S-Bahn + U-Bahn) new dense, urban, and mixed-use quarters are growing, which structure the space. In this way, a district for 30,000 residents blends smoothly into its surroundings.

    A village and its church. Hybrid multi-story buildings in a mosaic of squares, gardens, and fields. A water landscape with an alpine view. Mutual references and soft transitions facilitate the emergence of diversity and a mixed city of diverse actors. A field of tension between anonymity and community, between central S-Bahn and historic village square, between the world of work and the field.

    Idea
    2019

  • Von Bergedorf zu BergeDörfern, Hamburg

    Bergedorf West is confronted with the typical challenges of a 1950s / 1960s housing estate: Few used open spaces, monotonous building structures without centers and orientation points as well as an insufficient structure for foot and bicycle traffic.

    In order to make Bergedorf fit for the future, the housing estate is being restructured and programmatically mixed up. Two open space bands - 1x "stream band", 1x "tree band" - structure the settlement structure in an east-west direction: "Bergedorf becomes mountain villages. New innovative building types enrich the three emerging subspaces. They increase the mix of use and housing, strengthen neighborhood life through public and communal first floors and create lively meeting places within the three neighborhoods. The structuring open space bands connect the three mountain villages, offer sports and recreation facilities and at the same time provide air conditioning, rainwater management and strengthen biodiversity.

    Idea
    2019

  • Jale Waterfront, Himarë

    The rural south of Albania is gifted with a spectacular coastline, unspoiled natural areas, and rich cultural heritage. Travel is an important driver of the economic development of Albania. However, developments of the past 20 years have been haphazard and do not match the touristic potential of the region. Being part of the Albanian Government initiative of 'Urban Rebirth', the main objective of this project was the regeneration of the waterfronts of the villages Jalë and Dhërmi. Starting from the outstanding natural beauty of both locations, our aim was to structure and strengthen the coastline and connect it with its surroundings, both physically as well as ideally.

    In Jale this included freeing the main promenade from car traffic, providing basic infrastructures such as benches, bins, showers and fountains, but keeping the promenade at a low profile, seeking a continuation with the beach. As the beach is very deep and the bay mainly attracts the younger generations, we have been inspired by some of the existing beach-bars that were embedded in rich flowering gardens. Between the beach and the promenade, we have provided a strip of gardens housing 6-7 beach-bars, each with a stable structure to survive the harsh storms in winter. The bars come in three different sizes and allow for all furniture to be stored inside during the cold season.

    Photography: Lucas Hardonk

    under construction
    2016

  • Dhërmi Waterfront, Himarë

    The rural south of Albania is gifted with a spectacular coastline, unspoiled natural areas and rich cultural heriatage. Travel is an important driver of the economic development of Albania. However, developments of the past 20 years have been haphazard and do not match the touristic potential of the region. Being part of the Albanian Governments initiative of 'Urban Rebirth', the main objective of this project was the regeneration of the waterfronts of the villages Jalë and Dhërmi. Starting from the outstanding natural beauty of both locations, our aim was to structure and strengthen the coastline and connect it with its surroundings, both physically as well as ideally.

    In Dhermi this included freeing the main promenade from car traffic, providing basic infrastructure such as benches, bins, showers and fountains, but keeping the promenade at a low profile, seeking a continuation with the beach. At the entrance of the promenade an existing structure and a seasonal stream are integrated to form a watersquare, a landmark for the site which will include iconic lettering. A pier serves both for watersports but also as look-out and artificial cliff. The watersquare connects further inland through the 'valley of freshness' and invites for mountaineering and cultural activities.

    completed
    2016

  • Campus as Quarter, Heidelberg

    The new quarter campus forms a high-quality central urban hub between the western and southern part of the city, which, through systematic revitalization and redensification, will sustainably supplement Heidelberg's educational landscape. The aim is to link the leisure and educational facilities and to expand the programme with living, working and public services to create a diversified and vibrant neighbourhood. The green open space strip, including valuable biotope structures and a north-south connection geared towards local mobility, connects the quarter to its surroundings. Superordinate development principles focus on the long-term maintenance of the livelihood of future generations and will create integrated and lively learning and living spaces.

    "Education happens everywhere - in the family, with peers, in leisure time and at school. Parents, school, day structures, associations - they all contribute to a holistic education." (Bildungslandschaft Schweiz)

    Idea
    2019

  • Gardencity 21. Green-urban-connected., Bremen

    The fringes of the city hold the promise to live in connection to nature, surrounded by landscape, open space and informal structures. At the same time, areas like these are criticized for their lack of functions, their boredom and their consumption of natural resources. How then – in the spirit of Ebenezer Howard - to create a "green urbanity" which is more diverse, dense, socially mixed and productive while at the same time maintaining the special qualities of the city edge? For the German BBSR, The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development we developed scenarios on How the Garden City can be translated to the 21st Century?

    A viable model can only ensue when spatial principles and specific qualities are brought and thought together with the processes, structures and stakeholders that shape the city. The planning approach for Garden City 21 therefore draws its topics, concepts and strategies from the context. Four sample areas illustrate how built and unbuilt intertwine, how aspects of a Garden City can be developed not only on the fringes of the city and how it can embrace local competences, programs and structures.
    Scenario-based designs and strategic stories are the starting point, and are used to illustrate the qualities of urban and open spaces, so as to be able to discuss them with stakeholders.

    Link to publication: 'Gartenstadt 21', Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung

    completed
    2017

  • Rinia Complex, Fier

    The Rinia Complex is located in a former youth park in the center of Fier, on a plot that is open to 3 sides, facing different contexts. Our design for the mixed-use complex addresses these contexts, which represent the different and differing needs of the area. The building seeks to express the ambitions of the City of Fier, that is: to create a new image, one that is fitting for a city that is dynamic and continually growing, and to add important functions to the city like a public 25m pool and a cinema.

    Rinia Complex is a truly multifunctional building, with a program that also includes a 5-star hotel, 2 floors of parking space, residential units, a bank, a shopping center, a restaurant, and a casino. All public functions of the complex are accessible directly from the street via external staircases and are embedded into their urban surroundings. The building has been designed to be used in different ways at different moments throughout the day, offering both public/open access and private/restricted access areas. The intricate program has been fitted into a single volume, a uniquely shaped building that is internally 'fragmented' in order to give an answer to the different needs and the diversity of the context, but which also retains its flexibility as an urban 'shelf' that can take on a variety of functions.

    under construction
    2018

  • Dhermi Plaza Hotel, Dhërmi

    The Dhermi Plaza Hotel has been designed as a 5-star hotel along Dhermi's promenade. The project optimizes the square meters available within the plot whilst merging with the context, and offers publically accessible facilities.

    Its elongated volume is situated ideally between the beach to the south and the mountains to the north and is characterized by a dynamic facade. The shading system, composed of double-facing sliding shutters, plays with the shadows created by the thin walls. This creates a sense of movement, and reveals the life inside the building, making the hotel guests the 'accomplices' of the architecture.

    The hotel hosts different functions which can be separated if necessary, such as the restaurant, spa, and beauty salon on the -1 floor level;5 shops, a pool bar, a swimming pool, a bar, and the hotel lobby on the ground floor level; and an array of variously sized rooms on the first, second and third floor. The top floor has been designed as an active neighborhood/village, with various leisure facilities for both adults and children. It stands out from the rhythm of the facade and offers the guests panoramic views The hotel grounds have been designed so as to offer a range of different sports activities, from swimming in the 25 m pool to playing basketball on the shaded field.

    in progress
    2018

  • Durres Beach Hotel, Golem

    When designing the Durres Beach Hotel in Golem, Albania, CITYFÖRSTER faced the challenge of creating quality within an unpromising context. Golem, a popular beach resort, enjoys a prime location on the sea and is set in a mountainous landscape. However, the village has suffered from uncontrolled development, resulting in a sprawling blanket of buildings. The site for the new hotel is located in the third row from the beach and faces a highway on the other side.

    On the other hand, the site boasts a beautiful forest of mature Mediterranean pine trees and forms an anchor to a potential urban plaza in the south. In order to overcome the challenges, we designed a building rooted in the Modernist tradition, a compact building-block surrounded by greenery. This layout provides the entire building with light, air and space, and secludes the rooms on lower floors from their direct surroundings. An elevated roof garden compensates for the footprint and adds to the overall quality of the new hotel.

    All rooms have highly finished interiors, as well as balconies offering different views – either towards the sea, towards the mountains, or towards the trees. Each balcony is cladded in natural stone from different regions in Albania, which creates a distinct rhythm in the façade. The west façade corresponds to the adjacent buildings, whilst the east façade follows the patterns of trees. The end result is a positive eyecatcher, clearly visible from the highway and the sea.

    completed
    2017