Location: Stuttgart, Germany.

Architect: Behnisch Architekten.

The Dorotheen Quartier in Stuttgart has been re-planned to create new areas for public use and reassess the relationship with the Karlsplatz arcade. The project includes three mixed-use buildings with offices, small-scale retail, and urban living, infusing the central city core with a new identity and vitality. The preservation of the former Hotel Silber, which was used as a Gestapo headquarters from 1937 to 1945, has led to a complete restructuring of the original design. The buildings now restrain themselves towards their surroundings in terms of height and size, responding expressively in their architectural appearance to the urban characteristics of Stuttgart. The design broadens and divides the existing Sporerstraße into two squares and connects both to the lively town square in front of the Market Hall. New elements supplement the existing urban structure, aiming to integrate themselves seamlessly into the city’s existing and historic urban fabric and character. The ‘roofscape’ has particular significance in a place where the roofs across the landscape always serve as icons identifying landmarks and destinations in the city. The objective of the entire reorganization was to create an urban space in the city center with no ‘rear sides’ and in this manner to create a public realm that is instead flanked by a variety of equally attractive, high-quality frontages.

Photo credit: David Matthiessen.