Location
Stuttgart, Germany
Typology
Residential
Year
2017-2021
Status
completed
Client
Ferdinand Piëch Holding GmbH
Size
17,500 m² GFA
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At the heart of Stuttgart, the transformation of the Calwer Passage demonstrates how architecture can reconcile heritage with ecological renewal. Rather than preserving the existing building in its entirety, the project selectively retains the listed historic glass-roofed passage – the heart and identity of the ensemble – while replacing the surrounding building fabric with a contemporary mixed-use development. This careful balance between preservation and renewal allows the historic passage to regain its original prominence within a fundamentally reimagined urban quarter.
The new architecture is conceived as a living framework for nature. Enveloped in pioneering façade and roof vegetation, the development redefines urban space through one of Europe's most ambitious integrations of greenery into a dense city centre. These planted surfaces generate a healthier microclimate, mitigate the urban heat island effect, retain rainwater, enhance biodiversity and create comfortable outdoor spaces throughout the year. More than a technical solution, the design makes visible the city's response to climate change, embedding nature as an integral architectural element within everyday urban life.
Location
Stuttgart, Germany
Typology
Residential
Year
2017-2021
Status
completed
Client
Ferdinand Piëch Holding GmbH
Size
17,500 m² GFA
Read more
The richness of planting is central to the project's identity. A carefully orchestrated composition of trees, climbing plants, shrubs and perennial species transforms façades, terraces and rooftops into a continuous ecological landscape. Rather than serving as decoration, the vegetation defines the architectural character of the project, creating constantly changing spatial experiences through seasonal variation in colour, texture and light. The interaction between preserved heritage, contemporary architecture and living vegetation establishes a new urban atmosphere in which ecology becomes a visible and experiential component of the city.
The richness of planting is central to the project's identity. A carefully orchestrated composition of trees, climbing plants, shrubs and perennial species transforms façades, terraces and rooftops into a continuous ecological landscape. Rather than serving as decoration, the vegetation defines the architectural character of the project, creating constantly changing spatial experiences through seasonal variation in colour, texture and light. The interaction between preserved heritage, contemporary architecture and living vegetation establishes a new urban atmosphere in which ecology becomes a visible and experiential component of the city.
Calwer Passage demonstrates that the transformation of existing urban fabric can extend far beyond energy-efficient refurbishment. By combining selective preservation, adaptive reuse, dense mixed-use development, biodiversity and climate resilience, the project establishes a new model for regenerating city centres. It shows that ecological performance and architectural quality are not competing ambitions but mutually reinforcing qualities capable of redefining the future of the European city.
Calwer Passage demonstrates that the transformation of existing urban fabric can extend far beyond energy-efficient refurbishment. By combining selective preservation, adaptive reuse, dense mixed-use development, biodiversity and climate resilience, the project establishes a new model for regenerating city centres. It shows that ecological performance and architectural quality are not competing ambitions but mutually reinforcing qualities capable of redefining the future of the European city.
