Mainz Markthäuser 11-13 / Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

Sep 2009

Architects: Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas
Site: Mainz, Germany
Client: Wohnbau Mainz GmbH
Structure: Knippers Helbig beratende Ingenieure
Total area: 9,000 sqm
Budget: 14M Euro
Project Year: 2003-2008
Photographs: Moreno Maggi

The building complex is located in the middle of the city center of Mainz, Germany.

Its existing “historical” facade shown to the Cathedral in Mainz and its new facade to the Rebstockplatz compose the entrances to a halfclosed inner courtyard, a weather-protected “Piazzetta”. This was designed as a half-open, spatially graduated free space, which extends from the underground level over the ground level and the third level, including terraces and access level for the offices and residences, up to the glass roof.

The “Piazzetta“ becomes a place of communication between the individual functions of the building. This connection is strengthened by the verticality of the white steles, shaped sculptures which direct the view of the visitor upward and creates a visible connection between the levels.

All Areas in the ground floor including trade and service are accessible for pedestrians from the atrium space as well as from the streets. An escalator in the atrium brings you into the underground level with its shops. Residences and offices, if not attached directly to the stairways are accessible through indoor pergolas resp. through daylight provided hallways.

The new facades are pulled tensionful over the entire building complex equally as an item of clothing over a human body.

: plan 01

: plan 02

: plan 03

: plan 04

: plan 05

: plan 06

: plan 07

: plan 08

: plan 09

: north elevation

: east elevation

: south elevation

: west elevation

: section 01

: section 02

: section 03

: section 04

: sketch

19 comments »

M says:

Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

# September 16, 2009 at 03:27

Y says:

Nice?
This is horrible!
There is no reason anything in this project (interior and exterior). It’s just a bunch of gratuitous and false gesture.

“This connection is strengthened by the verticality of the white steles, shaped sculptures which direct the view of the visitor upward and creates a visible connection between the levels”
And empty void would have done it better, rather than that poor formalism.

So sad to see a lived architect falling into such immaturity.

# September 17, 2009 at 08:46

peppy says:

interior space is very nice, especially the interpenetration between columns and floors… and the way the light goes through them

# September 16, 2009 at 04:59

jwc3 says:

The interior looks pretty cool, but I hate the exterior. Terrible. Looks like the building is wrapped in yesterday’s news paper. In my opinion, this is one of the ugliest projects ever featured on ArchDaily. I feel sorry for the citizens of Mainz that have to look at this eyesore everyday.

# September 16, 2009 at 09:49

that's what she says:

the interior is amazing, the exterior is a different proyect…
i dont understand why?

# September 16, 2009 at 10:10

ygogolak says:

Exterior is horribly busy. The interior feels like exercise in geometry; ovular floor openings, circular light tubes in the floor, rectangular glazing and then triangles on the columns, why?

# September 16, 2009 at 10:31

El Residente says:

Why not?

# September 16, 2009 at 10:45

Yorik says:

Fuksas is a funny guy, I heard one of two lectures of him, it’s always cool… I have the impression, looking at the first picture, that there is a kind of (ironic? critisizing? stigmatizing?) relationship with the built environment, as if saying “okay, so architecture here is made of some fat volumes with some windows on it” (no offense Mainz people, just the neighbouring buildings) and he’s doing some “clown” work… Maybe I’m very wrong but I liked that…

# September 16, 2009 at 11:08

alejandro says:

Don’t like at all the way the building looks form the outside, as Yorik puts it, it may be a kind of sarcastic clown work but at the end it’s doesn’t pull it off, it looks cold, ugly modern, that kind of modern architecture people tare down thirty years afterwards.
The inside is other story I do like it.

# September 16, 2009 at 11:28

oscar falcón lara says:

Wow, Fuksas again showing that there is nothing wrong with having a lot of fun with architecture and historic places. This project has so much going for it, from the interior pierced with light and organic shapes and elements going up and down, the skylights, the exterior finish, the shape and even the interior distribution, a wonderful yet intriguing project. Admirable, awesome project.

# September 16, 2009 at 14:01

BKMY says:

I’ve been looking at this project for a while now. Studying the terracotta skin for my own project. I still haven’t figured out what are all the systems used here. There are window walls, punch opening windows, and screen spaces. I’d love to get a hold some wall sections – anyone?

# September 16, 2009 at 15:03

hybrid says:

there’s something eerily ’soulless’ in much of
architecture build in germany today:
too much ‘corporate aesthetic’, too less life appreciation

# September 16, 2009 at 19:55

Carlos Martinez says:

A sleeping transformer…

# September 16, 2009 at 21:48

Wargo says:

I like the interiors but the exterior facade look as a ship in a wrong place.

# September 17, 2009 at 00:17

urko says:

Это Асадов!

# September 17, 2009 at 02:45

wartian says:

buildings in Germany are often developed in whole urban block and the interior is dominated by a huge center court. Massimiliano Fuksas have done a great job by continuing the characteristic and yet create their own version.

# September 22, 2009 at 16:32

…a ‘bankers’ version of banal superficiality, thanks

# September 22, 2009 at 17:46

ronin says:

I really dont like fuksas, but if you put aside horrible fasade and unlogical construction, i quite like this program of mix used space for habitation and bussines. Almost good project =D

cheers

# October 19, 2009 at 13:12