Abstract:

Coexistence, for us, is the act of connecting old and new as well as public and private, to create a democratic public living room that gives many different user groups space and fosters dialogue.

Large-scale public spaces in the area remain unenclosed due to slab-type development, resulting in limited quality of stay. Our design creates defined, comfortable public space that transitions seamlessly into an approachable administration. The two halls and the former hotel at Mollstraße 4 shape this space, which is framed by a linear building linking them structurally and programmatically, aligned with the building line of Berolinastraße and addressing both sides of the block.

Weather-protected public uses (library, daycare) are placed only where new and existing fabric interlock, engaging the adjacent living rooms and activating outdoor areas. Subtractions secure daylight and support an inside–outside dialogue across floors. The “town hall of the future” becomes less spatially relevant through digitization and eventually disappears; Mollstraße 4 enables a minimally invasive interim administrative use so housing can later return without conversion.

Interweaving old and new produces interlock volumes arranged from public to private, with the linear building as mediator and adaptable connector. Targeted subtractions open and connect the existing structures; the two halls become a covered public living room opened to the exterior and daylit through slab openings.