Saarbrücken-Burbach „aw halls“
A large industrial area is being created on the site of a former railway repair plant in Saarbrücken-Burbach. Individually adjustable spaces in new buildings and converted old buildings are being offered to small and medium-sized businesses. The project is aimed at securing the location via trade promotion measures, as well as at supporting the structural change in the city and the region.
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Context
Source: GIU
On the western fringes of Saarbrücken (pop. 200.000) in the district of Burbach, the close proximity of housing and employment areas has a long tradition. At the end of 1997. a Deutsche Bahn AG repair shop closed down here, making an area of approximately 32 ha in total available for other uses. The site is characterized by listed industrial architecture and a broad track ladder. A historic company town and a local recreation area directly adjoin the site.
Project description
Source: Thomas Meyer, Neuss
The site with the former railway repair shop’s well-preserved building stock – a large, listed wagon shed and several art nouveau buildings – is being revitalized in individual construction stages since being taken over by a municipal development company. A new district for small and medium-sized businesses and craftsmen’s establishments is being created.
The urban planning concept picks up on the historic structures, but provides greater transparency via new access routes and a green space. This also served to eliminate the long-standing barrier between neighbouring residential and forested areas. In the initial construction stages, the former canteen, storage and administration buildings of the plot were re-developed, converted and dedicated to new industrial uses. The trackage in the track ladder area was removed. This is where the first new buildings for service and business operations have been put up. A design handbook containing detailed specifications for the extensions serves as a quality assurance measure.
The site is dominated by a large, listed wagon shed with a floor space of over 40.000 m² which was built in 1906 in a steel frame construction. It was converted according to the "building within a building" principle. The new industrial parcels range from 300 to 1.300 m² in size and are situated under a connecting and sheltering roof. They can be adjusted to the requirements and financial possibilities of start-up businesses very flexibly. New, internal development routes are being installed within the hall, including the required technical infrastructure. The shed roof is opened up above the route axes. Along these streets, industrially manufactured pavilions will be placed or, respectively, interior facades will be put up. The individual plots can be used separately and/or expanded beyond the pavilions.
A combined rent, leasehold and ownership model is aimed at facilitating the settlement of young businesses by reducing the (financial) start-up risk.
Project chronology
Year | Event |
---|---|
1997 | Closure of the repair shop |
1999 | Purchase of the site with lease in perpetuity and conversion of smaller building stock (warehouse, canteen, gate house) |
2000 | Design of a town-planning concept for the entire area |
2001 | Demolition of trackage and development measures |
2002 | First new developments in the track ladder area (workshops) |
2003 | Partial development of the large shed and realization of first construction stage |
From 2004 | Conversion of the former shunting stage into a green axis, residual development in the large shed and around the track ladder, change of use of the old spring forge |
Aims
Source: Thomas Meyer, Neuss
- Revitalization and recycling of a railway wasteland
- A unique address for new service, business and skilled trade jobs
- Provision of demand-oriented spaces for business start-ups and expanding businesses
- Opening up the site, creation of permeability
Types of measures
Source: GIU
- Contamination remediation, development of the site, rendering it ready for building, and provision of a utility infrastructure
- Change of use and recycling of listed building stock
- Construction of industrial buildings
- Conversion and build-up of wagon shed (infrastructure, partial opening of roof surface, putting up interior facades, and construction of pavilions according to the “building within a building” principle)
- Quality assurance via design handbook
- Flexible marketing of the shed area and the new development parcels
Foundation award “Living City” (Lebendige Stadt) 2002
Innovations
Source: Thomas Meyer, Neuss
This project is a perfect example for successful area recycling via intelligent use and marketing concepts and could potentially provide impulses for the structural change in the region. The provision of demand-oriented, very flexibly adjustable spaces and buildings is aimed at start-up and expanding businesses and serves the creation of new skilled jobs.
Sources
- Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning) (2003): Best Practices. Neue Urbanität auf Bahnflächen (Best Practices. New Urbanity on Railway Sites). (Werkstatt: Praxis nr. 5/2003) (layout plan)
- GIU GmbH & Co.KG, Saarbrücken (2003): Vom ehemaligen Ausbesserungswerk zu den "aw hallen"(From Former Repair Shop to „aw halls“). Saarbrücken
- http://www.giu.de
Further information
- http://www.aw-saarbruecken.de
- On the foundation award "Lebendige Stadt": http://www.lebendige-stadt.de/de/stiftungspreis/stiftungspreis_2002.htm
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 66115 - town: Saarbrücken - street: Am Kesselhaus.
Poject site on Google-Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/H9uKxsiXvyB2
Last update: 22.01.2018