The development is relatively enclosed along the streets, allowing the courtyards, squares and pathways behind it – protected from traffic noise – to be used to their full potential. Along the busy road on the western side of the site, the architects responded with a six-storey enclosed perimeter block. Along the smaller side streets, the buildings are arranged in a more open configuration. The residential neighbourhood opens up towards the green space along the Düssel to the north and the existing play area to the east through the positioning of the buildings.
A five-storey perimeter block with an additional recessed storey was built along Merowingerstraße and Suitbertusstraße. Ground-floor spaces for services, dining and small retail businesses make the neighbourhood accessible to other users as well. Drawing on the proportions of the surrounding Wilhelminian-era buildings, variations in the colour of the brickwork articulate the façade.
After decades of industrial use, the attractive site in Düsseldorf’s inner-city Wilhelminian-era belt has been brought back to life.