Multi-generational district Frankenallee

The rapid development of the Gallus district in the west of Frankfurt that began two hundred years ago is primarily due to the main train station in the immediate vicinity, which was completed in 1888 and was considered one of the largest railway junctions in Europe shortly after it was put into operation. The industrialization that began almost at the same time favored the settlement of many industrial and craft businesses, whose buildings essentially shaped the image of the district until the new millennium.

A noticeable change began about 20 years ago. The reason for this was the abandonment of the almost 90 hectare freight railway site by Deutsche Bahn and the resulting accelerated withdrawal of production facilities. Within just two decades, the large-scale conversion turned an industrial site into a lively urban district with residential and office buildings, shops and hotels as well as attractive green spaces.

The realized housing project now replaces a large car dealership in the middle of Gallus, which, with its sales and workshop halls including parking space, occupied an approximately 9,600 square meter plot of land between Kriegkstrasse, Frankenallee and Flörsheimer Strasse.

Realized as a multi-generational neighborhood as part of the “Social City” program, the complex offers a diverse range of apartments for families, singles, seniors, commuters and students as well as a shop and a neighborhood meeting place. The basis for the planning emerged from a competition in which three offices prevailed: Planquadrat from Darmstadt, Landes and Partner from Frankfurt and Turkali Architekten.Realized as a multi-generational neighborhood as part of the “Social City” program, the complex offers a diverse range of apartments for families, singles, seniors, commuters and students as well as a shop and a neighborhood meeting place. The basis for the planning emerged from a competition in which three offices prevailed: Planquadrat from Darmstadt, Landes and Partner from Frankfurt and Turkali Architekten.The project consists of 17 individual houses that are lined up along the streets, forming a clearly visible block edge and surrounding a protected green courtyard that is available to all residents of the district.

Three houses along Kriegkstrasse and the buildings built in the inner courtyard – an apartment building, a small single-family house along a fire wall and a completely renovated existing building for student housing – were designed by Turkali Architects.The unit includes 48 condominiums, seven rental apartments and 16 student apartments.

Projections and recesses in the building cubature tie the new buildings along Kriegkstrasse to the existing ones. Bases made of masonry, facade surfaces made of coarse-grained plaster, combed plaster structures on the window openings and white window frames as well as large-format balconies arranged on the courtyard side with parapets made of steel rods characterize the appearance of the new buildings.

The houses have their own entrances. Their facades are designed in a differentiated manner according to similar principles and are provided with differently colored, light plaster surfaces. Only the building exposed in the inner courtyard has a dark plaster surface and closed balcony parapets, which strengthens its solitary effect.