Stefan Forster GmbH

For 60 years “Benjamin Franklin Village” was the biggest housing complex of the US armed forces in Germany. Following the withdrawal of the US military in 2011 the City of Mannheim had the opportunity of turning this area, enclosed and separate for many decades, into a lively urban district to serve the future needs of the city. In this context Stefan Forster Architekten developed a site along Andrew-Jackson-Strasse in the north of the district of “Franklin Mitte”.

On behalf of GWH Bauprojekte GmbH two blocks were built with a total of 155 apartments, and an existing barracks building renovated to provide 12 apartments. The design for the new buildings is a further development of the idea of an urban block with protected internal areas for the use and enjoyment of the residents. Here, the twist is to break up the solidity of the block with “transparent” loggias that enable glimpses of the green inner courtyards from outside but without forfeiting the coherence of the building volume. The ensemble effect is enhanced by a continuous clinker-brick base storey that links all the buildings.