MVRDV chosen for hafenspitze waterfront scheme in mainz, germany

MVRDV chosen for hafenspitze waterfront scheme in mainz, germany
all images courtesy of MVRDV / morePlatz

dutch practice MVRDV has been chosen to complete a pair of buildings articulated around a plaza in mainz, germany. built within the city’s harbor basin on the west bank of the river rhine, the project is part of a larger masterplan that will provide the city with a mix of living, working and leisure facilities. entitled ‘hafenspitze’, the design has been developed in collaboration with rotterdam and munich based office morePlatz.

the centrally positioned public square is flanked by two distinctive structures

the winning design proposed to adjust the existing masterplan to accommodate a centrally positioned public square, flanked by two distinctive buildings totaling 12,000 square meters. an 11-storey office tower creates a waterfront landmark, while an elongated five-storey block, topped with a roof garden, encloses the plaza at the street’s edge.

the taller tower boasts fully glazed elevations with angled windows oriented to maximize external views

the two structures, which both feature a similar façade concept, are distinguished through their specific materialization and appearance. the taller tower boasts fully glazed elevations with angled windows oriented to maximize external views. floors are visually separated by dark horizontal bands clad in slate shingles, while the lower volume is wrapped in a rough skin of folded, concrete panels. construction on-site is set to get underway in autumn, 2015.

the design is situated at the far northern end of the harbor basin

‘the design handles the tight urban restrictions in an extremely convincing manner‘, explained axel bienhaus, deputy chairman of the jury. ‘MVRDV succeeds in setting a strong urban development accent and simultaneously in fulfilling the important noise prevention conditions’.

mayor of mainz michael ebling added: ‘MVRDV will create an architectural highlight in the zollhafen quarter. the profile of the city will be given a contemporary twist along neustadt’s future promenade by the rhine, forming an antithesis to the medieval heart of the old town’.

construction is set to get underway in autumn, 2015