Industrial estate under one large roof
(Saarland)
Photography: 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.
Photography: Thomas Mayer, 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.
| 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 |
Photography: Thomas Mayer, Neuss
Photography: GIU
Foundation award “Living City” (Lebendige Stadt) 2002
Photography: Thomas Mayer, 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.
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 66115 - town: Saarbrücken - street: Am Kesselhaus.
Record inserted on 01.02.2004 by Lehrstuhl für Planungstheorie und Stadtplanung, RWTH Aachen and updated by theFederal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR).
Last update: 02.03.2010
