Alt-Hohwacht on the Baltic Sea, competition decided

In 2014, a development plan in the village of Alt-Hohwacht on the Baltic Sea caused a great deal of displeasure. With the help of a restricted urban planning competition with open space planning and structural engineering components, the municipality looked for a better solution last year. studiomauer and ottl.la secured first place with their design. Read more here.

The redesign process in the small community of Alt-Hohwacht on the Baltic Sea coast began back in 2014. At the time, the urban land-use plan that had been drawn up caused displeasure among local residents. While the center of the former fishing village had previously been characterized by small-scale development and a romantic beach promenade, the new decision envisaged relatively large-scale buildings. Alt-Hohwacht responded to criticism from the local population. In 2022, the municipality announced a competition to find a development more appropriate to the location. The urban development realization competition with structural and open space planning components was to serve as preparation for the development plan. The winners of the competition were chosen in March last year. The architectural firm studiomauer from Hanover and the landscape architecture firm ottl.la from Munich were able to secure first place with their approach.

The design addresses the special features of the village. Alt-Hohwacht is surrounded by the Baltic Sea, two inland lakes and wooded areas. Around 900 inhabitants live in this natural idyll. In addition, there are up to 3,000 seasonal visitors every year. This imbalance had to be taken into account in the competition. After all, the interests of residents as well as tourists and investors are decisive for the further development of Alt-Hohwacht. For example, the jury was looking for a clever solution for the necessary differentiation between public and private spaces. Studiomaurer and ottl.la found an answer to these pressing questions. Lucas Hövelmann from ottl.la describes their own concept as follows: “The appropriate redesign according to the competition design focuses on building culture, social and ecological factors, creates new tourist attractions and provides a space for community life on site.”

With the Ostseeblick and the Gemeindeplatz, the winners propose two open squares connected by a beach road. The public promenade is clearly defined by the new development. For Lucas Hövelmann, this is a clear improvement on the status quo: “The village center, which is dominated by traffic, will be revitalized and activated for residents and pedestrians.” The buildings are based on the storey height of the existing buildings with two to three storeys. Relatively short building lengths reflect the small-scale nature of the surrounding building typology. Within the newly formed building edge, openings are defined as corridors into the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, the public character of the promenade is promoted through commercial use in the first floor zones. At the same time, widenings generate high-quality recreational spaces.

In contrast, the residential courtyards are designed as semi-public areas. Rainwater infiltration inside the courtyards will turn them into green oases in the long term. The design of the roof areas with greenery and solar cells is also based on environmentally sensitive intentions. Dealing with mobility is another key aspect of the planning. Parking spaces are proportionately located away from the center or sensitively integrated into the first floors or under tree plantings. Lucas Hövelmann sees the strength of the design in the interplay between the ecological and aesthetic components: “Subspaces are unsealed and developed in a sequence of identity-creating, water-sensitive plazas together with the promenade.”

studiomaurer and ottl.la impressed the jury with their vision of the former fishing village. The judges described it as a valuable contribution and a sound basis for further urban development and the subsequent land-use planning process. A direct structural realization from the competition is not intended at the moment. How things will proceed in Alt-Hohwacht in the near future is still uncertain at the moment. According to Lucas Hövelmann, the type and scope of implementation are still being clarified.

Not the Baltic Sea, but the North Sea: European countries bordering the North Sea want to quadruple their offshore wind energy capacity by the end of the decade. Denmark is considered a pioneer thanks to so-called energy islands. You can find out more about these islands here.