Platensiedlung Nord
Mr. Ingo Lachmann
fone: +49 (0)69 212 34404
Project description
Reason for planning
There is a constant lack of housing in Frankfurt, especially in the lower price segment. Consequently, there is an urgent need to create new, affordable housing, ideally in the short term.
As Platensiedlung is wholly owned by one firm, namely ABG FRANKFURT HOLDING, there is no need for lengthy consultations and a homogenous overall concept can be developed for the estate.
Platensiedlung Nord is composed of relatively long rows making it ideal for adding floors to the existing buildings and erecting several new ones. The project could not only provide additional apartments but also establish those infrastructure facilities missing to date.
Development area
The development area is located roughly 4 km northwest of downtown Frankfurt and forms part of district 9, namely Ginnheim.
In the north the project area is bordered by the plots to the south of Raimundstrasse, in the east by a green space, in the south by Platenstrasse and in the west by Stefan Zweig Strasse 1-17.
The development area covers some 7.5 hectares, which includes public transportation areas and roads.
The existing buildings are typically three-story terraced houses. A total of 19 rows is made up of three individual buildings and the 342 apartments are generally large three, four and five room flats.
Planning objectives
By adding new floors to the existing buildings and making use of the space between the buildings ABG plans to create around 680 new apartments. The plans drawn up by Frankfurt-based Stefan Forster Architekten, who was awarded the task, foresee one, two and three-room apartments, which will in combination with the existing housing contribute to a balanced mix of apartments. Half of the new apartments will be created as subsidized apartments; 175 are to be student flats.
The project’s underlying idea is to reconcile the need for affordable new housing that is available quickly with the justified interest of the current tenants in stable living conditions and housing costs.
Two more storeys are to be added to the three-storey row housing based on a modular wooden construction. New buildings are to be realized at the ends of the existing rows and this will subsequently more clearly structure public and private space and develop the open areas between the rows into more private courtyards. And in a first step towards creating a lively, mixed quarter small shops or cafés will be established in the newly created ground floors on Platenstrasse to counter the estate’s current mono-function as housing. Moreover, the increased densities in the area will also generate greater demand, meaning additional facilities for the social infrastructure will also be built.
Four bridge houses will be built to straddle Sudermannstrasse. The resulting gateway this will produce in the east and west of the area will contribute to creating new inner courtyards.
The zone fronting the existing building will be allocated to the ground floors creating private green areas that can be used by the tenants as gardens. The central court areas whose design ABG developed through several discussions with the occupants are to be available to all residents.
Underground car parks beneath the new courtyards will provide the additional car parking spaces required. The very narrow paths in Sudermannstrasse and the existing alignment of car parking spaces will be widened to at least 2.50 meters.
No increases in rent are to be incurred for existing tenants as a result of the construction measures. Moreover, as part of a relocation management scheme occupants are to be given the chance to move from an apartment that is too large for them into a smaller one within the district.
Planning progress
The project is to be jointly supervised by the City Planning Department and Frankfurt Building Supervisor Authority in close consultation.
Initially, there was in-depth consultation on the overall project. After agreement was reached on the fundamental urban planning, traffic/transportation and landscape design issues in an ongoing process phased individual building applications were submitted and will be submitted for the topping up of the rows and the new buildings.
The construction of the new stories began in autumn 2018. On Dec. 17, 2018, there was a “stacking celebration” to mark the assembly of the first finished modules. In spring 2020 the last added stories were complete. Work commenced on the first new builds in March 2019, with the last new build scheduled to go into construction in early 2023. The design of the free spaces in the first inner courtyards and front gardens has been complete. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2024.
For further information, please visit the website of ABG FRANKFURT HOLDING