| Client: | Stadt Heusenstamm |
| Cooperation: | metris studio für architektur, stadt und landschaft |
| Activity: | Offener städtebaulicher und freiraumplanerischer Realisierungswettbewerb |
| Period: | 2025 |
| Dimension: | 8,6 ha |
| Location: | Heusenstramm (Hessen) |
The development of new residential and mixed-use potential within existing urban areas is a key task of contemporary urban planning. In response to the increasing demand for housing in the Rhine-Main region, the City of Heusenstamm is launching an open urban and landscape planning realisation competition. The aim is to reconfigure an inner-city transformation site through high-quality urban design and to develop it into a sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood with a high standard of public space.
A New Lease of Life for the Former Telephone Exchange in Heusenstamm
The former telephone exchange is being stripped back to its core and transformed into a central hub of activity – featuring a climbing hall, greenhouse structures, and a garden centre. A public square with rotating plant installations offers a high-quality green space for leisure and interaction. At either end of this new central area, a daycare centre and assisted living facilities will be developed. Surrounding the core are planned residential buildings with gardens and play streets – designed to foster vibrant, intergenerational community living.
On the site of the former telecommunications depot in the south of Heusenstamm, a new, self-contained urban quarter is taking shape. It complements the existing urban fabric and continues the city’s strategic development in line with the Integrated Urban Development Concept (ISEK) from 2014. The approximately 8.6-hectare competition area lies between Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße and Industriestraße, directly adjacent to leafy residential neighbourhoods and commercial zones. Its location presents a unique opportunity to create a new local centre – a spatial and functional hub in the southern part of the city. Rather than competing with the historic town centre or existing infrastructure, this new district offers a meaningful addition. The aim is to develop a forward-looking urban building block that accommodates diverse uses, provides high-quality public spaces, and is deeply rooted in the surrounding landscape.
Open Space, Urban Structure, and Social Cohesion
Our design is based on a robust urban concept that combines density, social diversity, and ecological sustainability. A fine-grained network of paths connects small-scale neighbourhoods, defines clear edges, and opens up targeted visual links. The quarter is structured by a system of public spaces. Squares and green open areas form a coherent framework that supports social interaction and improves the microclimate. These spaces are carefully coordinated in their functions and help to connect the urban environment with nature.
A central aspect of the design is the reduction of sealed surfaces, the reuse of existing materials, and a decentralised approach to rainwater management. This system requires little technical infrastructure and relies instead on nature-based solutions. The new quarter will offer affordable, family-friendly, and multi-generational housing. Living, working, and community life are brought together in a pleasant and well-designed setting. Social and commercial uses, particularly at ground floor level, will bring life to the area throughout the day. Shared spaces and open building types encourage social exchange. Existing green areas will be preserved, upgraded, and linked with new elements. This will create a resilient open space infrastructure with high ecological value.
Urban Concept
Master Plan | Use Concept | Development Catalogue
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