Kronenquartier

Germany , Offenburg

From brewing to high-quality living

Abandoned military sites, abandoned industrial sites, unused railway lines - in many cities, there is tremendous potential for new beginnings and conversions in such places. In Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg, it is the former site of the traditional Kronenbrauerei brewery that was open to new uses after its relocation.

The new Kronenquartier in Offenburg is being built on historic land

The investor, Wüstenrot Haus- und Städtebau GmbH (WHS), and the city of Offenburg launched an invited urban planning competition for the restructuring of the 9160 square metre site.

The focus was on residential development, supplemented by retail and "non-disturbing" commerce. Another requirement was to preserve the old trees and a restaurant with a beer garden. Wittfoht Architekten from Stuttgart won in 2016; their first-place design is the basis for further developments.

The four-storey buildings on Moltkestraße in the eastern part of the quarter are mostly occupied; the ground floor is used for retail. With their white plastered façades and plinths clinkered in light grey tones, the buildings blend unagitatedly into the neighbourhood. Deep loggias are visible on the street sides, and large balconies or terraces on the ground floor face the courtyard. The flats let in a lot of light through predominantly floor-to-ceiling windows and make a friendly, neutral impression with their wooden floors and white-painted surfaces.

Pre-wall system allows great flexibility

The modern bathrooms continue to be inconspicuous and highly practical. Here, the TECEprofil dry-construction system, specially developed for pre-wall installation, was used in all 47 residential units. The system consisting of a supporting structure and matching sanitary modules offers great design freedom and enables planners to create an individual room layout. Pipework can be moved in the pre-walls and the entire installation technology finds its place. All that remains visible are the simply elegant flush plates from the TECEnow range in white, which complete the clear design language of the entire building complex. The large push buttons sit in a wide rectangle, the entire element is only five millimetres thick and can also be mounted flush with the surface with an additional frame if desired. Toilet module and flush plates can be combined with each other as desired in the TECE range and installed in just a few steps without tools.