A new take on history

The Turley site in Mannheim is being repurposed: a modern residential quarter was created on the former barracks areal. These four new buildings create a sensitive contrast to the existing buildings.

Stisfying modern demands for space in Germany

Cities do not always grow at the edges – empty urban land that is no longer used for its original purpose is a reserve that can be used to satisfy modern demands for space. The 120-year-old Turley site in the German city of Mannheim was just such an example. Built as barracks during the German Empire, it served the US Army as a base until 2007 under the name Turley Barracks. Starting in 2012, the twelve-hectare site has been converted into a residential area.

Architect Max Dudler was commissioned to design three residential buildings and a day-care centre covering an area of around 5000 m². The architect used one of the historic barracks buildings to define the identity of the development. He positioned the minimalist, monolithic new buildings accordingly and created an urban ensemble with a lively town square. The square is slightly elevated and forms a social centre for the residents.

A symbiosis of old and new

Architect Max Dudler not only wanted to integrate the existing building, but also to showcase the modern architecture. “When centuries-old building fabric is properly transferred into the present, modern, timeless architecture emerges.” Both the new buildings and the resulting town square are characterised by this tension between old and new.

The project houses 19 flats with up to five rooms in the residential buildings. Minimalist steel balconies protrude from the smooth façades, some only a little, some much further, and have the appearance of industrial steel constructions. This creates open spaces of different sizes depending on the size of the flats and creates a connection between the new buildings and the historical stock.

Solid and aesthetic

Inspired by the 19th-century construction style of the existing building, the new developments are intended to withstand the test of time. The architects chose Poroton S10-MW blocks with an integrated mineral wool filling to build walls with a thickness of 36.5 cm. These meet the requirements for energy efficiency, structural calculations, sound insulation and fire protection.

A mineral light plaster and the neutral light brown colour complete the austere aesthetic; the steel surrounds and folding shutters on the windows and balconies pick up the colour scheme and echo the late-19th-century image. One aesthetic detail creates another clear connection: the former barracks building is made of red Neckar Valley hard sandstone, which was also used for the plinth and paving of the neighbourhood square.