Weststadt district Essen - Drei Kaiser Höfe

The new district is being constructed on the 1.85-hectare site of the former printworks Kaiser in Essen’s “Weststadt“ and forms a new link between the nearby “Weststadt” park and the city centre. It comprises three blocks that are adapted to the urban context in terms of their numbers of storeys and structure. However, due to their layout and variation the new buildings with their colour scheme create a small-scale detached house character with a clear prestige value suitable for residential use.

The small businesses are located on the ground floor zones at the busy Frohnhauser Straße whilst the residential units are oriented towards the quiet interior courtyards. A central district square creates a bustling and attractive centre. It is enlivened through the diverse usages in the neighbouring buildings and creates a high quality of stay with various green areas. The seven-storey high-rise building, the “Kleeblatt“ (Cloverleaf), forms the western side of the square and represents the new tallest point in the district. Co-working rooms on the lower floors and living space on the upper floors complete the diversity of use at the square. In the eastern construction field a day-care centre for children with five groups completes the district. It is organised as a closed plinth with a greened roof on which the tower blocks with a broad mix of apartments rest.

The new urban district creates over 400 new apartments, commercial areas, offices, a day-care centre for children and a local supplier. With greened roof surfaces and facades as well as green courtyards with water areas, high-quality recreational spaces are provided that have positive effects on the urban climate. As a completely car-free district it has a dense path network and a largely open ground floor zone at its disposal.

Project management: Holger Grobe
Project leader: Alina Schick
Team: Sandra Frischholz