Outline Concept
“The listing of the Grossmarkthalle as a building to be preserved emerged as the major element in the development of our design proposals for this site.

This building, remarkable for its time, designed by Martin Elsässer over seventy years ago, has in the grid of the façade an architectural form very adaptable to a modem office building. We found approximately half of the required accommodation, 50,000 squaremeters, could be accommodated in this building alone by inserting five floors inside the existing structure.

The plan of the Grossmarkthalle has been divided into four office units each approximately 49 x 45 meters and five stories in height. These would be separated by three glazed atria rising the full height of the hall with glazed roofs similar in shape to the curved shell of the original roofs.

These atria would be paved and landscaped as internal streets with planting of trees and shrubs, water features, fountains and paving making interdepartmental communications possible in a pleasant indoor environment.

The roofs of this low-rise part of the development would be landscaped with trees, shrubs and pathways to provide a formal garden setting to the main view of the Grossmarkthalle. The remainder of the site being landscaped to complete the concept of buildings in a parkland-setting along the riverside.

The Decision Making Bodies will be housed in the three storey circular building on top of the two storey offices at the southern end of the site. These will have direct access from the secure carpark below and also to the roof helicopter pad. The Entrance Reception and Visitors’ Areas are on two levels connected by an open atrium with the visitors center on the lower level.”