Town hall district

Hueckel­hoven is getting a new heart

Right next to the town hall, between Martin-Luther-Straße, Parkhof­straße and Breteuil­platz, a new and lively mixed-use develo­pment is being created with many oppor­tu­nities to linger.

Built as if they have evolved over time
With their angled exteriors and sloping roofs, the five small buildings are reminiscent of many a historic small town. Their different heights allow them to blend into the urban context and respond to the slope of the planning area, which flattens out from north to south. Diffe­ren­tiated pathways open up new perspec­tives on the town, bringing the old and the new to form a cohesive whole, turning the develo­pment into the new centre of this North Rhine-Westphalian town. A place where people like to meet, where people like to live, where people like to walk, where people just like to be. A new urban space that is sustainably integrated into the townscape.

 

Built for added value
In order for the new develo­pment to create ecolo­gical, social and economic added value, our design attaches great importance to sustaina­bility in all its dimen­sions: the mix of uses, the diverse, consumption-free offerings and leisure oppor­tu­nities, the resource-conserving choice of regional materials such as bricks – harvested in part from demolition rubble from the surroun­dings – the climate-friendly greening of façades and outdoor spaces and, above all, a forward-looking, fossil-free energy supply for a climate-neutral neigh­bourhood are just some of the components.

Built for diverse offerings
On Breteuil­platz, Hückelhoven’s central square, the new develo­pment is linked to the neigh­bouring buildings to its west by a three-storey building and adopts the attractive design of the outdoor spaces along Parkhof­straße, a highly commer­cia­lised thoroughfare: A hotel and restaurant, together with the Prada ice cream parlour, serve those who sit in the area facing the square and invite others to linger. The building facing the park and the town hall brings the political realm and residents together: the library and the multi­func­tional council chamber on the first floor, the parlia­mentary group rooms and an archive on the second floor, and the south-facing rooftop bar for family celebra­tions and other special occasions convey a tangible and lived sense of parti­ci­pation, trans­pa­rency and a modern under­standing of politics. The Ratskeller restaurant on Breteuil­platz completes the culinary offerings.

Three additional buildings extend to Martin-Luther-Straße and provide facilities for a co-working space, an e-sports bar, four additional commercial units, the court and a police station, as well as under­ground parking for cars and bicycles.

Built for richly varied green spaces
Diffe­ren­tiated pathways connect the develo­pment to its immediate neigh­bourhood, giving it a small-scale, relaxed character with clearly struc­tured public spaces. Paths and squares are paved with natural stone. Islands of greenery establish visual connec­tions and reference points while also improving drainage. A grid of various ornamental fruit trees connects the (residential) develo­pment with a multi­func­tional park to the north and east of the town hall, with tree-covered benches, a beer garden and the new ‘mountain’ playground.

Four large trape­zoidal forms that are distri­buted throughout the park offer individual oppor­tu­nities to play and hang out. Up to 4 metres high and about 30 x 15 metres in size, they are made of materials appro­priate to their purpose: A robust lawn invites you to lie down. A trapezoid with a soft surface is ideal for safe play. A third trapezoid even allows wild vegetation to be harvested. The fourth, set on the existing brick paving, challenges skate­boarders, inline skaters and BMX riders to perform daring tricks.

Plans

Site map

Streng­thening the urban block
The aim of the design is to give Hueckel­hoven a central core, similar to a historic old town.

Routing
Five pathways link the quarter with its surroun­dings and define four building plots.

Diffe­ren­tiated sites
The struc­tures resulting from the building plots are arranged in such a way that different square situa­tions, optimal circu­lation and constantly new views and visual relati­onships are created.

Scale
Slightly angled buildings break up rigid axes, create diffe­ren­tiated street spaces and structure the façades in order to fit into the urban context.

Activation of the open spaces
Thanks to their asymme­trical shape, clearly struc­tured squares lend the district a small-scale, cozy character similar to a historic old town.

Location
Hueckel­hoven
Type
Working
Client
City of Hueckel­hoven
Time Frame
2022 – 2023
Size
Approx. 14.568 m² GFA
Services
Design
Status
Design
Visua­li­sation
&MICA GmbH

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