Willich „Becker Steel Mill“

Context

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Willich is situated in a triangle created by the cities Mönchengladbach, Krefeld and Düsseldorf and ranks as a central location for housing and employment. The site of the Becker steelworks established in 1908 was used as a depot by the British Rhine army after the Second World War. The departure of the military made the site available for conversion, including 25 protection-grade buildings from the beginning of the 20th century. The site is located at the edge of the settlement and is bordered by residential areas to the north and east.

Project description

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The site measuring approximately 36 ha in the south-western urban fringe of Willich (pop. 51.999) wasconverted into an industrial estate. The orientation of the land-use and development concept follows the existing orthogonal system of the erstwhile industrial facility. The core feature of the site is a representatively designed, 800 m long and 40 m wide water axis. It is an element of a new north-south connection created to improve the urban design integration of the formerly closed-off area in the environment. A striking, square solitaire construction marks the beginning of the water axis. The ground floor is earmarked for a cafe and the upper floors house office spaces. The canal absorbs the surface water from all open and roof areas as well as that from the adjoining transport routes. The diversion of precipitation water is required due to the contamination of the soil with hazardous substances. To provide a transition to the landscape, the waterway ends in a seepage pond. Particularly the central axis was safeguarded in the legally binding land-use plan by specifications concerning the building lines and minimum building heights. The flexible and detailed marketing as well as the targeted recruitment of leisure facilities ensured that a mixed use area comprising manufacturing businesses, skilled craftsmen, services, retail, sports, leisure, and culture amenities could be realized. All the industrial buildings have successfully been marketed or redeveloped, respectively, with the exception of two of the seven structures to have been listed in the meantime. The former machinery hall, for example, now serves as a sports and fitness centre, and an antique car museum with restoration workshop and specialist publishing house has settled in another one of the historic halls. In still another listed hall, a business start-up centre established on a floor space of 7.000 m² was already fully occupied one year after the opening, not least due to the low introductory rents charged. This mix of trades and the qualities in the public space have the effect that the site is also visited and used by the public in the evenings and during the weekends. At the end of 2003, over 20 companies providing more than 600 jobs had settled here.

Project chronology

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Aims

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• High-quality industrial/trade location featuring a mix of business, leisure and culture
• Unique identity by preserving listed nuildings
• Sophisticated transition to the landscape
• Urban design integration of the industrial estate

Types of measures

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• Preservation of historic structures
• Establishment of a business start-up centre
• Rain water retention in the form of an 800 m long water axis providing an urban design element
• Legally safeguarding the design quality in the planning
• Targeted marketing to realize mixed use

Model project of the NRW State Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for State and Urban Development Research (ILS).

Project of “Euroga 2002 plus” as part of the NRW state programme REGIONALE.

Innovations

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The Becker steel mill is a successful example for the recycling of brownfields and the preservation of industrial monuments. The change of use of the site and the sophisticated open spaces lend the area a unique quality identity. The intentional mixture of business, trade, sports, leisure and culture has created a “living” quarter.

Sources

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• Grundstücksgesellschaft der Stadt Willich (Willich municipal property company) (n. y.): Gewerbepark Stahlwerk Becker (Industrial Estate Becker Steel Mill). In: http://www.gewerbewillich.de/stahlwerk_becker/index.htm
• Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Mittelstand, Energie und Verkehr der Landes NRW (NRW State Ministry of the Economy and Medium-Sized Business, Energy and Transport) (2000): Denkmalschutz und anspruchsvoller Nutzungsmix im Depot „Stahlwerk Becker“ in Willich (Monument Protection and Sophisticated Mixed Use in the „Steel Mill Becker“ Depot in Willich). In: Konversionsbericht Band IV. Zehn Jahre Truppenabzug und Konversion in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Conversion Report Volume IV. Ten Years of Military Withdrawal and Conversion in North Rhine Westphalia). Düsseldorf
• Planning office „Planungsbüro Heinz und Jahnen“ (1998): Rahmenplanung Stahlwerke Becker – Willich (Outline Plan Becker Steel Mill – Willich). Aachen
• Institut für Landes- und Stadtentwicklungsforschung des Landes NRW (NRW State Institute for State and Urban Development Research) (1997): Konversion militärischer Liegenschaften. Planungsprozesse und Rahmenbedingungen (Conversion of Military Properties. Planning Processes and Framework Conditions). Dortmund

Further information

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• On "Euroga 2002 plus": http://www.euroga.de

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 47877 - town: Willich - street: Gießerallee.

Protagonists

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• Grundstücksgesellschaft der Stadt Willich mbH (Willich municipal property company), Thomas Küppers, Hauptstraße 6, 47877 Willich, tel. 02156/949-281, email: thomas.kueppers@stadt-willich.de , web: http://www.gewerbewillich.de
• Planning office „Planungsbüro Heinz und Jahnen“, Peter Jahnen, Kasinostraße 76 A, 52066 Aachen, tel. 0241/6082600, email:

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p.jahnen@hjpplaner.de> (layout plan and photos)