Klosterareal Pluggendorf

Not far from the old town of Münster (DE) and the Aasee lake, a diverse, urban quarter is planned on the site of the former Klosterareal Pluggendorf. Due to its location and history, the area has both the centrality of a well-connected inner-city periphery and the greenery and quality of a more park-like residential quarter.

The project is oriented towards the existing Pluggendorf blocks, which are characterised by their structural permeability and an additive mix of typologies. Despite a clear definition of spaces, three new permeable Pluggendorf blocks are created.

While the buildings are closed to the noisy streets, the blocks open to the interior by means of structural gaps and passages. This ensures good ventilation passive cooling. The winds coming from the Aasee, once used to power windmills, flow through these open spaces.

Instead of typical street spaces, the neighbourhood receives a sequence of green, widening open spaces with a high quality of living between the blocks. Heat islands can be avoided through vegetation and shading with the preservation of large trees.

The character of the old monastery garden as a genius locus remains perceptible as a quality and continues beyond the visual boundaries into the surroundings. Embedded in the existing green corridor along the Hoppendamm, at the interface to the existing blocks, a new neighbourhood centre is created with open and public-oriented uses. In contrast, the green Werkhof forms a quieter open space within the three new blocks, offering a high standard of living, both as a leisure and work location.

Five building typologies characterise the design and are further differentiated by the form of the roof. Four different perimeter blocks make up the majority of the development: For residential buildings, they are 14.5m deep and have a gable roof or varying Dormers that tie in with the streetscapes in the interior of Pluggendorf. For offices, the perimeter block development is 15-16m deep and has a tiered storey in relation to the buildings on Weseler Strasse and Koldering.

A polygonal typology also allows for deeper buildings in order to integrate the large building mass in a way that is compatible with the neighbourhood. For offices, this type sits on the street corners and appears as a high point in the urban space. As a residential building, it appears as a hybrid structure that is always part of the perimeter figure but can also play more freely.

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