SMAQ Architektur und Stadt

Description

With the Agnes-Hundoegger-Weg residential development, a heterogeneous city block in Hanover was redensified. Four compact, four-storey buildings are placed freely in the space between the existing buildings and are positioned so close together that three of them partially merge with one another. The ensemble of buildings formulates a space-forming weight that binds the dispersed neighbourhood together. The buildings group 63 flats in four housing communities. In addition to owner-occupied flats in one building, subsidised rental flats have been realised in the three-part structure, but deliberately without differentiating them from the others in appearance. One of the four housing communities is formed by an inclusive residential group. Each structure is built in a ring around a stairwell lit from above. Each living zone is cantilevered from the façade, allowing for flexible floor plans. The building entrances are adjoined by sheltered outdoor spaces: An open hall and a colonnade offer meeting points for informal and community-promoting encounters. The façade material, clinker brick, blends the ensemble in with its surroundings, while the clear cubic form nevertheless expresses independence. A frame structure filled with panels that appear to slide within it conveys a sense of lightness. The texturing of the façades allows the moving sunlight to be experienced in the play of shadows.