Bundeswehr High-rise, Bremen , 2019

The Bundeswehr high-rise building in Bremen’s Bahnhofsvorstadt district is situated in an inner-city location, but is surrounded by main thoroughfares and thus literally washed around by traffic. Our design modifies the current situation of the solitary high-rise building into an urban ensemble of clearly defined street and courtyard spaces. The vertically structured high-rise building is complemented by a horizontally structured plinth. A very narrow, ring-shaped building, which encloses a courtyard of maximum possible size, surrounds the existing high-rise like a bracket without changing it structurally. This creates an inner courtyard that screens off traffic noise and creates a quiet, green internal world. The residential courtyard serves as a lively centre and meeting place for the complex. A variety of playgrounds, recreational and communal areas are created. The symbiosis of both buildings results in an identity-forming ensemble that can assert itself in the heterogeneous urban environment. At the same time, the striking high-rise building remains both recognisable and functional.