The new town hall and town hall terraces

The new town hall complex, comprising both the existing and new buildings, forms the central element of the overall concept. All town hall functions are brought together within a single complex. The public open spaces facing Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße and the Herrngarten site create an important link to the River Nidder.
By bringing the square up to the edge of the slope, an attractive vantage point is created: like a large landscape window, the view opens up onto the Nidder and the hills of the Vogelsberg – freely accessible to all residents. This creates a striking location with a strong sense of identity and a special uniqueness.
The existing stone wall is extended to form a balcony-like terrace area. A new open staircase provides a direct link to the renaturalised banks of the Nidder.
As a modern architectural structure, the new building provides an exciting contrast to the historic town hall. Together, old and new form a striking pair of buildings.

The renaturalised banks of the Nidder

The sloping area leading down to the Herrngarten will be landscaped in a park-like style, forming a scenic link that integrates with the town’s network of footpaths. New connections to the banks of the Nidder and to the Vulkanradweg cycle route will be created.
The banks of the Nidder will be renaturalised and made accessible via a spacious seating terrace with a jetty. In the area of the seating steps and the jetty, the Nidder will be widened to create a near-natural riverside area with improved amenity and increased ecological diversity. This will highlight the area’s unique scenic qualities and create a new recreational space.
Further seating and leisure areas along the new path beside the Nidder invite visitors to linger and enhance the amenity of this special open space.

Architectural language, façade design, construction

The new building forms an urban block that marks the end of the pedestrian zone whilst also serving as a link to Volmarstraße. The ground floor area is open and inviting; the architecture is characterised by the materials used in the façade, its transparency and its integration with the site. The design concept is based on the principles of sustainable construction.
The structure is planned as a hybrid construction. The basement, the stairwell cores and the fire-safety-relevant components are designed as solid concrete structures. The building is braced via the service cores.
The ground floor stands out from the main volume as the building’s plinth and is clad with a robust surface of prefabricated concrete elements. The façade elements of the upper floors are highly insulated and clad with rear-ventilated timber cladding. All glazed surfaces are fitted with external sun protection.

Environmental and energy concept, energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness

In line with the building construction concept, in which the hybrid timber construction method uses materials where it makes sense/is cost-effective and combines the advantages of both solid construction and timber construction, the building services concept should also be geared towards achieving high overall efficiency with minimal use of technical systems (low-tech over high-tech).

Conceptual principles for sustainability and cost-effective building operation:

• Hybrid construction with a high degree of prefabrication
• Use of recyclable and natural building materials
• Highly insulated building envelope
• Robust and sustainable façade surfaces
• Good and uniform natural daylight
• Optimised summer heat protection via external blinds
• Heating and cooling (passive cooling) using heat pump technology (no fossil fuels)
• Use of photovoltaics and, where appropriate, solar thermal energy
• Use of efficient system components with heat recovery
• Greening of roof surfaces with a focus on biodiversity and support for the microclimate

The construction of the building with a high degree of prefabrication is expected to result in cost-effective construction. Based on the use of recyclable materials and building materials, energy efficiency and low-tech solutions, a virtually climate-neutral building can be realised, which makes an exemplary contribution to climate protection

Open Space

The forecourt serves as the building’s spatial address and marks the entrance to the public facilities. At the same time, it can be used by the restaurant for outdoor seating, thereby actively contributing to the revitalisation of Bernhäuser Hauptstraße. The space can be seen as a spatial extension of the pedestrian zone opposite and strengthens the interconnection between public open spaces.
The inner courtyard is designed as a green, communal open space. Various green islands create a pleasant atmosphere and offer a wide range of play and exercise opportunities for children and residents. The strategic planting of trees and native shrubs creates shaded areas that contribute to a high quality of life, particularly during the summer months. A communal barbecue deck complements the open space facilities and enables a variety of uses for future residents. The conceptual section follows the same design language in terms of open space planning, thus forming a coherent open space structure. Generously sized lawns provide additional space for play, exercise and informal encounters, and support the development of a lively, communal living environment.

Architectural Design Concept

The vibrant existing trees are a defining feature of the local landscape. Chestnut, rowan, walnut, oak, hornbeam and cherry trees form a green framework for the development of the site, which is largely independent of the road layout. The three buildings stand as freestanding structures within the parkland. Their positioning is based on the trees’ crown and root zones, as well as the foundations and floor slabs of the existing buildings.

The buildings exhibit a distinctive dual character: on one side they appear as two-storey structures, whilst on the other they are three storeys high. This enables a development that is both cost-effective and compatible with the urban fabric. The development blends into the character of the surroundings. The two-storey sections of the buildings face outwards and, in places, extend to just beneath the outer edges of large-crowned trees. They act as a bridge between the buildings and their surroundings. These façades are designed as curtain-wall brick façades, which are given a contemporary and cost-effective update through green cable structures and integrate discreetly into the park concept.

Towards the interior, the buildings form a three-storey, framed, green courtyard. The anthracite-coloured timber façades lend the space a rural character. The courtyard serves as a meeting place and enhances the experience of living within the park.

The buildings comprise three storeys: the ground floor with the entrances, the first floor with three flats on each level, and the second floor, which is a stepped storey with two residential units on each level. The simple building structures can be flexibly partitioned, allowing the mix of flats to be adapted to specific requirements. The largest building, which is surrounded by public spaces, houses a paediatrician’s surgery with its own patient garden in the park. This garden is visible from the reception area. It will be possible to convert the surgery into residential accommodation at a later date.

In terms of planning regulations, the buildings are two-storey structures and have been designed in an architectural style reminiscent of Karl-Heinz Muth’s church buildings. The stepped storeys feature monopitch roofs. The use of red bricks for the roof and façade has been given a contemporary twist through the use of rear-ventilated brick façades and solar brick systems.

With the exception of one residential unit, all 19 residential units are designed to be eligible for housing benefit. There are also two wheelchair-accessible flats on the ground floor.

The outdoor spaces encircle the three building blocks to form a cohesive park that integrates the existing stand of large trees and highlights the site’s qualities. The central access path has been deliberately designed to be unobtrusive. It serves both to provide access to the buildings and as a link between the road and the church. This dual function was deliberately chosen to minimise the amount of sealed surfaces.

Two small squares have been created to encourage neighbourly interaction: one with seating and space for small gatherings, the other with a play area.

Rainwater is retained entirely on the site. The outdoor spaces are designed so that depressions form in several places, where rainwater from the pitched roofs is collected, seeps away and evaporates. This brings about a lasting improvement to the microclimate.

Spatial and organisational relationships

The design is based on the attractive urban connection between the car park along Langrederstraße – which lies between two existing hornbeams aged between 40 and 100 years – the church entrance and Altes Dorf street.

The design distinguishes between the interior and exterior of the buildings. The entrances to the three buildings are arranged in a row along the path, forming small access areas. The covered entrance areas create semi-public spaces from which the stairwells are accessed. Seating and bicycle parking facilities are provided in each of these areas.

Building 1 has a floor area of 15 × 20 metres. The paediatrician’s surgery is located on the ground floor, whilst the communal areas are situated on the first floor. Buildings 2 and 3 are almost identical in design, with a width of 13.10 metres and lengths of 20.00 and 21.00 metres respectively.

The flats are accessed via stairwells which, on the top floor, adjoin the external façade, thereby ensuring good ventilation and smoke extraction. The floor plans can be configured flexibly: from a single flat with a specialised ‘cluster’ layout per floor to five smaller residential units, a variety of living concepts are possible, all of which can be easily combined in timber construction.

Approach to the existing building

The vicarage and the parish hall were built in 1966 using what was then an innovative prefabricated construction method, featuring 100-millimetre-thick timber-frame structures. Due to changes in usage requirements and energy efficiency shortcomings, retaining the above-ground building structures is neither economically nor technically viable.

However, the prefabricated construction method offers considerable advantages for demolition thanks to its modular and standardised structure. The building components can be separated with precision, calling into question the common practice of uncontrolled total demolition. In line with the Circular Economy Act, the project will therefore be carried out as a selective demolition that preserves the building’s substance. The aim is to conserve the embodied energy of the existing materials and reduce CO₂ emissions by saving on primary building materials.

Direct reuse
The timber used in roof trusses and ceiling structures is dismantled with as little damage as possible. Following quality and contaminant testing, it is put to direct reuse as load-bearing or decorative components.
The possibility of reusing existing foundations and floor slabs is thoroughly assessed. Provided the structural requirements are met, these components remain in the ground and serve as the foundation for the new buildings.

Introduction into the building materials cycle (urban mining)
Well-preserved elements of the building envelope or load-bearing structure are catalogued and offered for reuse in other construction projects via regional building materials exchanges.

Sorting by type and material recycling
The buildings are gutted from the inside out. Any hazardous substances present are professionally remediated and disposed of in advance.
Concrete and brick components, metals, plastics and glass are systematically separated from one another whilst still on site.
Concrete rubble generated from the prefabricated construction method is processed into recycled aggregate and returned to the regional building materials cycle.

Concept section: Plot 27/24

The church garden offers space for a wide range of events, such as garden cafés, youth group activities, film nights, parish festivals, readings and concerts. These activities benefit from a greater degree of privacy. For this reason, a decision has been made deliberately not to include an additional footpath through the grounds. Instead, the garden is framed by dense border planting and its spatial character is enhanced by semi-circular hedges. These also create opportunities for children to play and run about amongst the planting structures. The existing public footpath to the south of the plot will be further enhanced.

Urban Development and Building Construction

The design envisages three distinct building volumes of varying scales, which incorporate historical pathways and create a new hub between the city centre and the Magniviertel. Within the urban context, the buildings are staggered in height, ranging from up to seven storeys at the north-west corner facing Schlossplatz down to five storeys across the Magniviertel, and enclose two small new urban squares that act as transitional spaces connecting to the neighbourhood.
The ground-floor areas will be brought to life with two large public-facing spaces and a range of smaller-scale uses. The plan includes retail outlets, small-scale catering facilities, social and cultural institutions, services, and neighbourhood-specific amenities that create a vibrant and appropriately scaled transition to the small-scale structure of the Magniviertel. High-traffic attractions in the north include the “LöwenDome” as a trendy sports centre spanning the ground floor and first floor – linked to the idea of incorporating Dennis Schröder as a key figure – and, in the south-western building, the entrance to an IKEA City with a complementary market hall on the first basement level.

The upper floors will feature a varied mix of uses, including offices, a hotel, residential units, micro-apartments and business apartments, as well as sheltered housing. The facades facing the embankment and Georg-Eckert-Straße, which are subject to higher noise levels, will be used predominantly for commercial purposes, whilst residential units are situated on the quieter sides of the building. The smallest building connects to the Magniviertel and houses family-friendly flats. A restaurant on the sixth floor, featuring a lush roof garden and a city balcony, forms a special urban attraction with views over Schlossplatz and the city centre.

Access and Mobility

Proven elements of the existing access network will be retained and integrated into the new neighbourhood. These include, in particular, the connection to the Magni underground car park on the lower ground floor, as well as the existing pedestrian tunnel from the Damm, which will be modernised in terms of design and upgraded functionally. Access to the IKEA market hall on the first basement level will be provided via both the ground floor and the former Horten tunnel, thus ensuring optimal links to the city centre, public transport and the existing underground car park infrastructure.
The second basement level will accommodate around 140 car parking spaces for residents, the hotel, offices and commercial premises. In addition, a central bicycle storage area with around 230 spaces in double-parking systems is being created to the north, accessed via a lift on Georg-Eckert-Straße and conveniently reachable from all buildings via the second basement level. A further 150 or so public bicycle parking spaces will be provided in the outdoor area. A new lift and staircase system, accessible from the outside, will also enable barrier-free access to the Magni underground car park around the clock.

Tram stop and public space

The ‘Schloss’ tram stop is being redesigned to be transparent and delicate. A deliberate break in the canopy along the line of sight between Damm and the Magniviertel enhances visual permeability and highlights the new pedestrian link. With the removal of the eastern lanes, the eastern part of the stop will in future be directly and safely connected to the neighbourhood, without the need to cross any additional roadways.

Construction Phases – Urban Development and Open Space

The new district will be realised in three coordinated construction phases, which will gradually reorganise the urban structure and open space, bringing them to life. In this way, the project will develop into a new urban centre in clearly defined stages and can be completed in time for Braunschweig’s 1,000th anniversary in 2031.

In the first construction phase, running until 2028, the new urban boundary facing Schlossplatz will be formed by the construction of the northern building block. At the same time, the single-storey inner courtyard of the south-western building block will be created. By reusing the distinctive Horten tiles, the temporary structure will take on a temporary design that fosters a sense of identity and will enable the attractive development of the uses on the first basement level at an early stage. To visually re-establish historical pathways, the ground areas of the future buildings will be laid out as green meadows, making the future neighbourhood structure visible within the urban space. At the same time, the ‘Schloss’ stop is being refurbished. The traffic areas are being paved at ground level, creating a cohesive urban space. During the transitional period, traffic on the east side of the stop – with a reduced lane – will still be able to travel northwards, albeit with traffic calming measures already in place.

During the second construction phase, running until 2030, the key urban design and open-space planning features will be implemented. The road at Ritterbrunnen will be removed to make way for a shaded, green pedestrian area. Misting systems will enhance the quality of the environment during the summer months. To the north, a car-free city park with a high quality of stay is being created, whilst to the south a green pocket park complements the open space provision. Along Bohlweg, a green buffer zone forms a pleasant transition between outdoor dining areas and the traffic zone.

The overall project will be completed in the third construction phase by 2031. The third building complex complements the neighbourhood and completes the spatial framework of the new urban squares. At the same time, sections of Georg-Eckert-Straße will be converted into cycle paths and greened, whilst private motorised traffic will be further reduced.

Vision for the future from 2035 onwards

Looking ahead to 2035, the aim is to transform Bohlweg into a largely car-free urban space. The street space will evolve from a traffic-dominated infrastructure into an urban space for recreation and movement, with a clear prioritisation of sustainable forms of mobility. In future, its use will be reserved primarily for local public transport and cycling.

Roof garden and city balcony

Adjacent to the restaurant, a lush green roof landscape is being created as a high-quality urban open space. Seating areas, an outdoor bar, trees and viewing points offer a variety of ways to spend time whilst enjoying views over the city. This is complemented by a city balcony, which provides a special place to relax and observe the hustle and bustle of city life.

Lighting, flexibility and use

Despite having a comparable gross floor area to the existing property, the new building triples the illuminated façade area. This creates bright, flexible spatial structures offering a high quality of life and work. The mix of uses within the quarter is deliberately heterogeneous to enable a long-term response to varying requirements. Major crowd-pullers such as the “LöwenDome” and IKEA City are complemented by smaller-scale offerings that create a vibrant transition to the Magniviertel. Housing options for different user groups – including families, senior citizens and mobile professional groups – round off the concept and reinterpret urban living in the spirit of a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood of the 21st century.

The route follows an organic, sinuous overall design that guides movement through the site in a natural and intuitive way. Direct connections are created from the northern area, across the forecourt of the information centre, through the wooded eastern slope and on to Fiedlerweg, whilst at the same time fostering a harmonious overall flow through the park. Main paths lead to the central facilities, whilst secondary paths open up quiet retreats and smaller resting spots, enabling a varied spatial experience. The paths on the eastern slope are deliberately designed as low-barrier, solid ‘forest paths’ and sensitively embedded in the natural surroundings. Between them, generous, natural areas – partly covered in bark mulch – are preserved for temporary uses, artistic activities or events.
The design theme of the open space draws on the artistic tradition of the Mathildenhöhe. Inspired by the site’s wall mosaics and the works of the artist Nevin Aladag, an organic-abstract compositional principle emerges that interlinks paths, open spaces, furniture and planting. The open spaces follow a picturesque, flowing pattern that guides visitors sensually through the space. The furnishings, crafted from bright blue Corian, create deliberate contrasts, echoing the deep blue of the wall art inside the buildings and generating a visual tension between minimalist, linear elements and the organic, natural forms of the landscape. Seating blocks, lounge furniture and benches are conceived as sculptural elements that combine functionality, aesthetics and a pleasant atmosphere.

Jeetzel riverbank
The Jeetzel river flows through the centre of Lüchow from north to south and shapes the cityscape as an inner-city river. Historically used as a transport route, today the Jeetzel primarily serves functions in flood protection, urban structure and ecological concerns. The inner-city banks are currently heavily regulated, with only a few natural recreation areas available, and the river remains largely inaccessible to citizens.
The aim of the redesign is to integrate the Jeetzel more closely into city life, strengthen its ecological potential and create new opportunities for recreation and experiences. Taking into account the urban conditions and flood protection, a concept was developed that combines natural design with recreational opportunities.
Seating steps have been integrated into the embankment at several points along the riverbank, and floating wooden decks have been installed on the water in some places, allowing visitors to experience the river up close. In the northern area, a landing stage for canoes and similar uses is also being built, supplemented by safe access from the road ‘Am Deich’. The southern recreation area, on the side of the retirement home, has been designed to be barrier-free, so that people of all ages can reach and enjoy the water via a ramp integrated into the embankment.
The sequence of recreational areas blends harmoniously into the urban structure: sometimes urban, sometimes close to nature, creating a varied experience. In addition, new benches and so-called ‘chill sofas’ have been installed along the existing paths, inviting visitors to take short breaks and linger on the banks. In order not to compromise flood protection on the dyke, it was kept free of trees and permanently installed fixtures. Instead, new trees were planted along the paths on the side facing away from the water, providing shade on the paths and seating areas and thus further enhancing the recreational facilities.
The embankments were planted with vegetation typical of the location in many places. Plant communities typical of rivers in the water and on the banks contribute to ecological diversity, promote biodiversity and support the natural purification of the water. Flowering meadows along the shore zones provide additional habitat for insects and other small animals. The meadows are mowed twice a year to ensure that the embankments are flood-proof.
The result is a Jeetzel riverbank that enhances the town, offers residents new recreational opportunities and spaces for exercise, and at the same time strengthens ecological functions. The redesign combines urban life, nature and water experiences, thus contributing significantly to the enhancement of Lüchow’s town centre.