The Green Quarter, for which we won second place in the competition for urban development and open space planning with Schellenberg & Bäumler and studio grüngrau, is embedded in the space between the tram line and Kalkumer Schlossallee.
Green spaces divide it into neighborhoods arranged in courtyard groups around green banks. Each neighborhood functions autonomously and, with the existing buildings, forms an integrated structure that can be developed in stages. The comprehensive school with canteen and triple sports hall is located in the immediate vicinity of public transport stops. Attractive plazas serve as entrances to the neighborhood. A barrier-free and traffic-calmed village square, the social core of the urban fabric, will be created at the intersection of the path and road network. The adjoining landscape window on Pfaffenmühlenweg opens up references to the Kalkumer Feld and the Graf Recke Church.
The theme of community is at the forefront at all levels of the quarter – from green to courtyard to house. Communal courtyards, gardens, and open spaces are intended to foster local community and provide private and semi-private retreats. The buildings are arranged in such a way that green spaces develop close to the residential areas. Instead of a classic central square, heavily dependent on commercial development, the plan proposes decentralized green spaces based on synergies between sports, leisure, landscape and social facilities. The urban village model is developed as a new type of settlement that adapts to the landscape and local conditions. The sub-quarters and courtyard groups vary in cubature, roof form and facade materials, so that the individual courtyards, with their small scale, act as scale formers. An extensive flower strip is planned along the Kalkumer Feld as a huge retention basin for flora and fauna. Biodiversity will be increased and biotopes connected. A network of retention areas, together with infiltration areas, ensures that water is stored in the neighborhood. Wind and green corridors and green roofs create a favorable microclimate through ventilation and shading. Geothermal energy combined with solar-generated electricity forms the superordinate energy supply system with the potential for neutral supply. An integrated planning approach combines biodiversity with a circular economy. The goal: a CO2-neutral, pedestrian-friendly district with short distances and an optimal regional network.
Congratulations to Architekten Venus, Greenbox and BeL Sozietät for the 1st prize!
Design: caspar., Schellenberg & Bäumler Architekten, studio grüngrau
Awarding authority: Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf
Images and plans: © Schellenberg & Bäumler Architekten/studio grüngrau
Visualization: © Paul Trakies
