For over half a century, the multi-storey car park at Neue Gröningerstraße 12 offered space for cars on eight parking levels in the middle of Hamburg's old town. The competition collected ideas on how the 1963 building could be remodelled and filled with life.

"In the cycle" - The genius loci as the starting point for a building turnaround

A re-typologisation of the urban building from a car park into an everyday living space takes place. By inserting it into the existing base with foundation, fascinating spaces with atmosphere are created that maintain the genius loci through the memory of the car park and add value to the neighbourhood. The promotion of the residential location becomes true in the sense of the “Old Town for All”.

We have chosen a hybrid approach: in the foundation, ground floor and 1st/2nd floor we have adapted the use to the existing building. Where the existing building and the necessary renovation do not offer a solution for the next generations in terms of geometry and building biology, the building is adapted to the new use: deconstructed and rebuilt in timber construction with the same load introduction. The deconstructed parts will be used as recyclates for the façade along Gröninger Straße and in the open space.

A “circuit” is the image for the cooperative task. Physically around a common courtyard, technically in materiality, joining and durable construction. In this image, structure, materiality and construction become more important than insulation and building services to achieve the goals and thus show the way to a building turnaround: Good architecture grows in value by accumulating meaning and representing material value.