Official opening of the “E” high-rise building in Mannheim
The AS+P team at the key handover ceremony (left to right): Jan Lorenz, Daniel Ulrich, Hannah Niebur, Jens Wittemann, Keith Gagan and Anja Heike Vetter. All photos © GBG - Mannheimer Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH, Marina Terechov
The team at AS+P joined the Lord Mayor and GBG – Mannheimer Wohnungsbaugesellschaft to celebrate the completion of the residential building that is 51m-high has with its highly distinctive proportions in the shape of a letter “E” marks the starting point for the new silhouette of the city’s FRANKLIN district.
Those present at the event included Associate Partner Daniel Ulrich, Project Manager Hannah Niebur plus Project Partner and manager of the local construction team Jens Wittemann:
“It was a highly unusual and a bold idea to come up with buildings in the shape of letters, one that will lend distinction to a unique location,” remarked Ulrich in his speech about AS+P’s ambitious project. “We would like to particularly thank our client GBG and MSWP Städtebau, who came up with the basic concept behind the four HOME buildings. Then, as a strong team relying on the great commitment of all those involved in the project, we were able to implement the architectural plans consistently, from the initial competition phase onwards. And we are extremely proud of this residential building’s fantastic quality!”
It was back in 2017 that AS+P was commissioned by GBG to design a new 15-story building that would offer future residents a total of 10,000 m² of residential space, as well as meeting extremely exacting standards in terms of energy efficiency (as laid out in the new German KfW55 regulations). The building’s sculptural design in the shape of an “E” represents one of the letters in the word HOME. It is part of the concept behind a family of residential high-rises creating the term visually – and simultaneously representing the guiding principle behind the conversion project that is FRANKLIN. This 144-hectare plot of land in the Käfertal valley south-east of Mannheim was the site of US Army barracks until 2013. Now that the troops have departed, there are plans to erect a new urban district here.
The sculptural façade of this 51-meter residential building in the shape of an “E”.
Two-story apartments were realized in the plinth building which itself consists of two stories. The residential tower offers living space totaling 10,000 m².
View from one of the balconies
“This building is a symbol of our city’s innovative capabilities and one that is visible from afar,” were Lord Mayor Christian Specht’s appreciative comments about this new highlight. Incidentally, Specht is also chairman of GBG’s supervisory board.
