An open structure, a sense of community – and a roof as a connecting element: in its wagnisART project, the wagnis housing cooperative has created a building complex whose building sections are linked by bridges.
An open structure, a sense of community – and a roof as a connecting element: in its wagnisART project, the wagnis housing cooperative has created a building complex whose building sections are connected by bridges. This conceptual structure has an effect on the interaction and the relationship between the residents. ARGE Bogevischs Buero and SHAG Schindler Hable Architekten were responsible for the construction.
The residential complex, which has over 9,500 square meters of living space and is the winning project of the 2018 DAM Prize, consists of five passive houses with 138 apartments for communal living and working in Munich. In addition to the apartments, the complex has an event room, a restaurant, studios, workshops, offices, guest apartments and a laundry café with a sewing room – spaces for public and communal use.
The unifying character of the architecture extends from the ground floor to the top floor: from the third and fourth floors of the five-storey building, the façades are set back. This creates spaces for terraces, which are connected to each other via bridges made of prefabricated reinforced concrete elements. The network of structures forms a residential landscape that is particularly harmonious in its communal appearance.
In this respect, the bridge constructions fulfill and reinforce the idea and desire for neighbourly cohesion in an almost allegorical way. The connections do not appear intrusive, but rather like a friendly invitation to come together. Rut-Maria Gollan, board member of wagnis eG, says: “Architecture is not active in the sense that it creates community or neighborhood. But it can form the framework that strongly favors or enables the way there.”
The roof as a communal area
In terms of roof use, the project follows the current trend of green roofs. The fifth façade is therefore intended to be more than just the top of the building, providing space for air conditioning units and guttering. Instead, the roof is a meeting place, a green oasis of well-being and a sustainable usable area. Both the roof garden with its beds set into the ground and the copper troughs are used to grow ornamental and useful plants. The open spaces are particularly popular with the residents, who are allowed to help with the beds, sow and harvest. The only requirement is that they are kept tidy at the end.
The future residents had a say in the planning and design. Since the building group was established, fundamental questions about living have been discussed, such as how spatial boundaries are formed or what proximity and distance to neighbors is desired.
In addition to its participatory approach, the project also demonstrates how roofs can be used in a variety of ways nowadays. The once neglected and often uneconomically used space holds a lot of potential for the future: it creates new space possibilities and offers aesthetic and ecological value. In any case, the residents of the wagnisART building complex can already look forward to summer – surrounded by flowers, plants and neighbors, with a panoramic view over the city.
