Theaterplatz Aachen: We have been nominated!
Creating social added value with our projects – this aspiration is part of our corporate philosophy. That's why we are all the more delighted when this is also confirmed by recognized experts. The high-caliber jury of theimmobilienmanager Award has now nominated our project ensemble at the theater in Aachen as one of the three best urban development projects in Germany!
This category recognizes exemplary urban development projects that successfully implement innovative solutions. One example is opposite the Theater Aachen, where we have developed a new ensemble combining historic and new buildings with sophisticated architecture from a block of mostly vacant buildings, including a bank building that is over 100 years old. With its invigorating mix of uses, including a hotel, offices, student accommodation, and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, we have succeeded in upgrading the central Theaterplatz, which had long been neglected, and revitalizing it as a new center. This benefits the entire urban community.
The architectural solution by kadawittfeldarchitektur is innovative, merging the historic bank building with an attached new building that, just like the monument, offers floor heights of up to four meters and thus a particularly exclusive office environment, complemented on the ground floor by restaurants that enliven Theaterplatz. The construction and installation of two cantilevered new floors above the monument was an engineering masterpiece. The statics were individually developed as a 25-meter cantilevered projection of a three-dimensional reinforced concrete frame with wall-like beams and Vierendeel girders above the monument .
The fact that all three projects are connected by a beautiful, quiet inner courtyard reinforces the character of an inner-city ensemble that has already proven itself to be a source of inspiration even before its completion: It has prompted the city of Aachen to implement citizen-friendly traffic planning, creating space for strolling and lingering on Theaterplatz, and has encouraged private actors to make new commitments. While our Landmarken sister company POHA House is implementing an innovative co-space concept in a previously partially vacant building diagonally opposite, several restaurants have settled around the square, which also make use of outdoor areas. We call this a real impact on urban society.
The winners of the immobilienmanager Award will be announced on March 9 in Cologne. We are looking forward to a gala that will be like a family reunion, because our sister company Stadtmarken Business is also nominated: Its "Urban Village" concept—successfully tested at the Aachen Technology Center on Europaplatz—is among the top three in the Management category. We're keeping our fingers crossed!
