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Future of the Kaufhof building: competition for Braunschweig's redesign!
Braunschweig is planning an architectural competition to redesign the vacant building on Kaufhof-Bohlweg. Goal: better quality of stay.
Future of the Kaufhof building: competition for Braunschweig's redesign!
The former has been standing since October 2020 Galeria Kaufhof at Bohlweg-Damm in Braunschweig largely empty. The spacious building, also known as Horten, is now arousing the interest of the city and Volksbank BRAWO eG, which are jointly planning an architectural competition. This step is no coincidence: vacancies are a recurring topic that is discussed again and again in various cities and regions.
In the summer of 2024, the city and BRAWO agreed on a procedure to gradually redesign the Kaufhof area and its surroundings. The competition has the promising working titleBOMA+, which stands for BOhlweg, MAgniviertel plus surroundings. The necessary coordination should actually have started in the first quarter of 2025, but the preparations have taken a while. The city has now decided on the binding template for the competition process.
Competition for a sustainable city center
Dr. Christos Pantazis, chairman of the SPD Braunschweig, sees a lot of positive things in the project. He emphasizes the importance of the redesign for the attractiveness of the city center and the quality of life of the citizens. But what exactly is planned? The competition process, to which five nationally and internationally recognized architecture and urban planning offices are invited, is intended to develop creative solutions for the future use of the Kaufhof building. All options are conceivable, from complete preservation to partial or complete demolition with new construction.
The conditions for competition also include improving the quality of stay and maintaining more green spaces. The goal is thatMagniviertelto better connect to the pedestrian zone and the Schlossarkaden Center - a challenge that should be tackled with fresh ideas.
Public participation and jury work
The process does not only rely on exclusive expert opinions. The procedure provides for public information events in order to involve citizens in the planning. The jury, consisting of representatives from the city and BRAWO as well as external experts, will choose from the submitted designs. The cost of the procedure is around460,000 euros, with the city covering half of it.
The planned measures to upgrade the city center are not just a one-off project, but part of a larger urban development concept. Loud BBSR Converting vacant properties and improving infrastructure are fundamental approaches to combating vacancies in cities. These initiatives can make a significant contribution to increasing the attractiveness of the city center - a concern that the city of Braunschweig is now aggressively implementing. The path is clear: creative ideas are needed to address the decline in business and the challenges of urban life.
In times when there is a risk of vacancies in many places, it is important to set the course for a lively and sustainable city. The developments surrounding the Kaufhof building could serve as a model not only for Braunschweig, but also for other regions.