Inselquartier Stuttgart: Living by the river

The new International Building Exhibition 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA’27) aims to identify solutions for the future of building and living together in economically strong regions. To this end, a winning design for the new Inselquartier in Stuttgart has now been selected in an international competition. You can find out more here.

In 1927, the greats of world architecture ushered in modernism with the Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart. Now, one hundred years later, the IBA’27 is revisiting the themes of that time: What does the future of building look like? How can we live together in economically strong regions?
So IBA’27, StadtRegion Stuttgart GmbH and the landowners launched an international competition. The “Inselquartier” design by Dutch NL Architects was named the IBA’27 project in first place and is intended to provide us with answers.

The site is located at Inselstraße 140/144 in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. It covers just under one hectare and was previously used for commercial purposes. What also makes the planning area interesting is its location between the banks of the Neckar and the listed hydroelectric power station. The existing Daimler office building from the 1970s was originally scheduled for demolition.
The winning design “Inselquartier” proposes a conversion instead. This approach is therefore more in line with the guiding principle of sustainable architecture. The planning office has given the existing building a stacked basic typology in a sensitive and resource-conserving manner. In addition, NL Architects is planning six differently proportioned residential buildings in timber construction. This allows new typologies and lifestyles to be generated. And between the colorful buildings, the open spaces will feature differently sized plazas.

The IBA’27 director, Andreas Hofer, commented on the “Inselquartier” as follows: “The combination of living and working, the beautiful location on the river, low-cost construction through rational design and serial timber modular construction, the preservation of the existing building instead of demolition: all of this fits in very well with the IBA‘s approach .”
Instead of the industrial site, space is now being created for around one hundred and forty apartments. The first floor zones contain social spaces and new commercial premises. The result is an experimental neighborhood hub with a variety of uses and characters. Solar panels and rainwater storage tanks are planned on the roofs to ensure a sustainable energy supply. There is also an energy concept in which heat pumps use the energy of the Neckar water. Furthermore, the hydropower plant there is to be preserved and continue to be used to generate electricity.

The winning design emphasizes communal areas – both indoors and outdoors. Communal spaces, such as co-working areas, complement the individual living space in the building. The roof areas are also activated for communal use. This takes the form of terraces, gardening areas or play and sports areas. The open spaces at ground level offer scattered play areas and picnic spots. Another plus: the design includes green facades and roofs. This provides insects and birds with nesting aids and food. The “Inselquartier” design also intends to renaturalize the banks of the Neckar. The connection to the river could be strengthened with footbridges, floating gardens and a sauna, for example.

The winning design “Inselquartier” is currently being redesigned. To this end, NL Architects is working with Stuttgart-based planning office a+r Architekten, the runners-up in the competition, to further develop the planning area. The “Inselquartier” residential area on the river will then be completed for the IBA in time for 2027. We can look forward to it.