Recognition | Mainova Campus Solmsstraße
Frankfurt
In collaboration with hks Architekten GmbH Erfurt
Greenery galore!
The Mainova site on Solmsstrasse is being expanded, and the site‘s existing buildings integrated into the plan. A key elementary element – the so-called “connector” – links the existing structures with the new and will serve both as an access route and as a space for bringing people together across the entire extended campus. In the west, a residential area with courtyards and underground parking is being created, and in the east, the new campus. To meet various safety stipulations, this arrangement entails zoning the public and private open spaces differently. Traffic will be calmed to create new pedestrian routes between buildings for employees.
The open spaces on the Mainova Campus take their cue from the overall organization of open spaces around the site. Lines of trees will delineate the extent of greenery towards the railway line. On the northern site boundary this green corridor connects an area dedicated to recreation, sports and play via a green promenade.
On the site these green structures are linked into the residential quarter via the urban groves of trees. The urban feel of the entrance to the tunnel at Birkenweg that leads to the Schönhof quarter further emphasises its urban character. A green hub of shady copses at its centre is open to the public and provides recreational and quiet zones among the residences’ courtyards. These inner courtyards themselves offer a framework and space for neighbourly exchange surrounded by the green facades.
The linear “Green Hill” separating the campus from the residential area, provides parking spaces for e-mobility, and flanks onto the access route for campus traffic. Over the underground car park entrances and exits, intensively planted vegetation links the existing buildings within the campus. The forecourt acts as the entrance to the city and provides access to the Welcome Centre, Service Centre, a café and an exhibition space. The Mainova Campus offers employees, visitors and neighbourhood residents a place to linger under the trees next to the water basin.
