MannheiM (De

LOCATION mAnnHeim – sTAdTeingAng nordosT POPULATION 330,000 inHAb. STRATEGIC SITE ± 180 HA SITE OF PROJECT To be deFined by pArTicipAnTs

SITE PROPOSED BY

ciTy oF mAnnHeim

OWNER(S) OF THE SITE

bundesAnsTAlT For immobilienAuFgAben (insTiTuTe For FederAl reAl esTATe: bimA) on beHAlF oF THe FederAl republic oF germAny, priVATe oWnersHip, ciTy oF mAnnHeim

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IntErvIEW

of the Site’S repreSentative jEns WEIsEnEr, city of MannheiM, DepartMent for urban DevelopMent

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

Since the foundation of Mannheim as a quadratestadt (city of squares) in the 17th century, the original seat of royal power and subsequent industrial city has always been marked by dynamic processes of change and adjustment. the city is the largest in the rhine-neckar metropolitan region. it grew up on the right bank of the river rhine at its confluence with the river neckar, and together with ludwigshafen on the opposite bank it today forms a powerful nucleus of the metropolitan region. Mannheim has always played a significant role due to its favourable location and economic diversity. the “adaptable city” theme is a phenomenon that has always been of great importance in its urban development and the city is experiencing a new dimension due to the current withdrawal of uS troops and facilities.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

the phased closure of the uS military sites up to 2015 is now an opportunity for the city council to positively influence development in strategic areas and enhance its flair as a strong european city. the north-eastern entrance to the city is to be redeveloped and the areas along federal road b 38 are to be upgraded. huge potential is to be seen in the development of an engineering Mile along the b 38 between the city centre and the autobahn access at viernheimer kreuz. the latter will form the backbone for Mannheim’s future growth corridor. the taylor barracks and benjamin franklin village conversion sites offer an opportunity to rethink the development corridor. the entrance to the city can be redefined and cross-links between the neighbourhoods improved.

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

uses, buildings and open space structure need to define a worthy entrance location in which the street and its accompanying elements enter into a highquality spatial symbiosis. Within the context of sustainable development, the barrier effect of the b 38 is to be reduced and networking between the individual neighbourhoods and uses improved. the objective of networking will be to create short routes and find solutions that offer new forms of mobility and promote non-motorised traffic. in this way, local challenges from the peripheral situation in the urban region and military conversion will be combined with the vision of a ‘post-car-friendly’ city. Solutions are being sought to adapt the large-scale post-war infrastructural networks to future uses and exploit the potential for integration into a generous open-space system for high-quality, sustainable urban development. the city of Mannheim will implement the results to date from competing procedures with the aid of an outline development plan that includes an overarching development and greenbelt model for the benjamin franklin village/city entrance area. concepts for urban planning areas focusing on specific themes are to be pursued in further competitions as a basis for future local development plans.

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caMille alWan (fr) architect - urban planner Marc bluMe (De) lanDScape architect clelia bartoloMei (it) verDiana Spicciarelli (it) StuDentS in architecture kh StuDio 44, rue DeS vinaigrierS 75010 – pariS, france t. +33 623889462 info@khStuDio.org WWW.khStuDio.org

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Mannheim’s connection

team point of view Mannheim’s Connection is the story of a boundary (b38) growing to become a vector of urban continuity. the systemic strategy it presents unveils potential relations between previously disconnected urban areas. the new intense mixed sector alternates newly built areas with structuring green voids, giving an intense depth of field to the bi-dimensional image of b38’s entrance to Mannheim. the progressive development of a new intermodal public transport network optimizes access to the site locally while amplifying its attractiveness at regional scale. Mannheim’s connection is an open evolving story, with structuring episodes and a series of urban protagonists gradually emerging from a process that re-combines inherited urban forms, innovative mobility and enhanced landscapes.

jury point of view Mannheim’s Connection is convincing with a design that re-formulates the entrance to the city as a space to be experienced and used. it links intelligently with the existing buildings in benjamin franklin village and develops them towards the b38 road in dense, mixed-utility building clusters rhythmically alternating with green spaces on the route into the city. the project is a very sustainable conceptual contribution to the “adaptable city”. the project offers the best way to combine the local challenges of a peripheral urban situation and military conversion with the vision of a “post-car-friendly” town.

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re-evolution

team point of view the project is structured around a series of open interventions designed to evolve along with the city. the urban seeds planted will be the starting point of a slow and ramified process, the creation of a new city, with its multiple discourses, challenges and questions. the main purpose of these seeds is to strengthen the city entrance as an area for development, bringing new opportunities to the city. the consolidation around the agricultural belt area can bring new models of industry and sustainable development, resulting in a production chain covering all sectors.

jury point of view the project sees the future of the area on both sides of the b38 within the pressure of an open urban development process, which manages to involve as many actors as possible in place. the goal is to foster a number of planning, social and economic initiatives in such a way that these take on the role of a network and can be perceived as a joint transformation.

kaWahara krauSe architectS, WenDenStr. 45c 20097 haMburg, gerMany t. +49 4021999511 Mail@kaWahara-krauSe.coM WWW.kaWahara-krauSe.coM

claSSic boulevarD anD concept of the inverSe boulevarD

Inverse boulevard

team point of view normally a boulevard is a wide street within a dense, urban area, where buildings define a clear edge along both sides of the street. a green area between the lanes gives it a generous and characteristic appearance. the areas on both sides of the b38 are characterized by a diffuse and open building structure with a high percentage of green. in order to retain these characteristics while at the same time creating a new representative urban entrance to Mannheim, we propose an inverse boulevard. instead of creating a clear edge on the sides of the street, a dense and urban building structure is injected between the lanes. on both sides, the open structures and green areas keep their character and are bound to each other by the inverse boulevard.

jury point of view Inverse boulevard is a bold and refreshing project. it turns the principle of the boulevard on its head, shifting the focus of definition from the edges to the newly created middle. everything in this project is convincing, because of its visionary urban approach to the development of the city entrance. the design is intriguing as a valuable contribution that breaks with the traditional pattern of a vehicle-oriented city and creates a very metropolitan alternative for Mannheim.

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urban hybriD builDingS With a perMeable public Structure

engineerS’ Mile aS a neW urban city entrance