Zollhafen Mainz | kadawittfeldarchitektur

Typology Office, co-living, co-working, gastronomy, underground parking and bicycle hub Construction Volume GFA 19.000 m² Client Landmarken AG Architect kadawittfeldarchitektur Competition 2023 – 1. Preis

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#Construction of an office and residential building with laboratories and gastronomy in the former customs port in Mainz #Adaptable mixed-use building #New living and working on the Rhine

The building makes maximum use of the site, creating a shared, light-flooded, green courtyard in its center that forms the central meeting point of the building. It invites you to linger, meet and exchange ideas, and opens onto Inge-Reitz-Straße and the Zollhafen promenade over two floors. In addition to the clearly marked entrances, a public thoroughfare is being created through the new complex – with a view of the Rhine embankment, promenade and old wall. Flat, barrier-free ramps within the green interior invite you to take a stroll and lead to the individual, independent entrances of the various units.

Thanks to its robust ring structure and its use-neutral, continuous storey height, the new building is equipped for a wide range of future use scenarios. Designed to be resilient and adaptable, the building offers a wide range of uses on all floors and a high degree of flexibility for changes: the co-living and co-working units can expand or contract reciprocally, but the building can also accommodate numerous other uses.

Site plan

With its cubature, the building marks the end of the new bank development and completes the rhythm (long-short, short, short-long) anchored in the master plan.

The customs port in Mainz was relocated from its original inner-city location to the periphery, creating space for a new city quarter. We are planning a mixed-use building with offices, co-working, co-living and gastronomy directly on the waterfront. A ring-shaped, five-storey permeable structure combines the hybrid uses and marks the northeastern end of the quarter.

A special feature of the property is a listed infantry wall from 1848. The building showcases this by framing it. At the same time, the wall marks the division between the public riverside promenade and the more private inner courtyard. Due to the inner courtyard’s access function, even the side of the wall facing away from the Rhine does not form a rear side, but rather becomes an integral part of the address formation of all uses with a high recognition value.

The new building, with a depth of 15 meters (up to 18 meters on one side), makes maximum use of the building site.

The building opens up to the promenade and the southeastern street with generous, two-storey openings. The green area of the Zollhafen embankment thus merges with the inner courtyard of the new building.

The ground floor is 85 cm above the highest bank plateau. Visitors can reach the clearly marked entrances via flat, barrier-free ramps and staircases.

Flood protection: Floodable open spaces and integrated or mobile elements protect the building in the event of flooding.

The historic monument of the infantry wall remains outside, untouched and not supported. The new building towers over it and frames it like a generous “portal”, so that it is presented like a precious gem from the lakeside promenade.

The facade reflects the motif of the altitudinal layers of the riverside plateau: the storeys can be seen as individual “layers”, while the horizontal structure gives a sense of dynamism and visually stretches the building.

“Overall, the design represents a very appropriate solution for the task, which gives the significant location an unmistakable character through a strong urban figure, whereby the integration of the infantry wall and the strong opening to the Rhine are particularly appreciated by the jury as an unexpected, yet simple and elegant solution for the complex task.”

[Excerpts from the jury protocol]

The building also opens up to the south-east and leads into the inner courtyard with an inviting gesture.

The facade design takes up the motifs of the shoreline plateaus and contour lines of the surroundings and makes the individual storey ceilings visible as superimposed “layers” of ceramic panels between the otherwise transparent areas. The clearly designed façades are structured by loggia-like outdoor seating areas for the offices.

A special place: the café is located directly on the promenade, with a view of the historic, listed infantry wall and the Rhine.

Floor plan ground floor

Floor plan first floor

Floor plan of the second and third upper floors

The new building is equipped for a wide range of future uses thanks to its robust ring structure and its use-neutral, surrounding storey height. Designed to be resilient and adaptable, the building offers a wide range of options on all floors.

Climate section

Section

North-east view

Facade Section