Urban development of the Esslingen quarter
- Design:PLAN FORWARD GmbH
- GFA:New building approx. 30,000 m² | existing buildings approx. 16,700 m²
- Services:General planning, HOAI LPH 1 - 4, project management, energy contracting
- Completion:ongoing
- Client:BPI Esslingen S.à. r.l., Luxembourg
Project description
For the Luxembourg investor BPI Esslingen S.à.r.l., WOLFF GRUPPE Holding GmbH developed the developmental realignment for the project on the Karstadt site in the heart of the historic old town of Esslingen. In doing so, it drew on the expertise of its architectural subsidiary PLAN FORWARD GmbH.
The result of the intensive planning is an urban realignment of the area and a change in the previous utilization concept. The quarter creates a transition from the large-scale existing buildings on Bahnhofstrasse to the historic buildings of the old town.
Commercial units on the first floor enliven and enhance the urban space. Generous and clearly structured semi-public spaces create an original identity for the quarter and ensure a high-quality living environment in addition to the architectural and urban planning concept. The proportion of retail space that previously existed in the existing building and is additionally planned within the new development will be reduced in favor of more residential space, as well as more space for offices and services.
The result is an urban, mixed-use quarter with apartments, approx. 14,000 m² of retail and service space, 4,800 m² of office space and an underground parking garage. In terms of urban development, the new quarter blends in with the surrounding buildings and connects the two pedestrian zones Bahnhofstrasse and Pliensaustrasse via Martinstrasse.