The Municipality of Hannover and WasserstadtLimmer GmbH & Co. KG initiated an international competition for the largest and most forward-looking urban development project in Hanover. Can we imagine a new type of urban neighbourhood that could be an example of a car-free, healthy, sustainable, climate adaptive and innovative community? And can we create a master plan for new urban living concepts that stimulate the local economy and new mobility concepts whilst integrating the surrounding areas? Our approach is inspired by the near-natural setting of Wasserstadt Limmer surrounded by two waterways and the historical identity of the place once the home of the old Continental tire factory. These starting points form the basis for both the urban design concept and landscape planning strategy.
By using the historical footprint of the former Continental Tire factory, we create three unique neighbourhoods connected through landscape: the Urban Quarter, the Green Quarter and the Docklands. Each neighbourhood has their own distinct spatial characteristics and housing types. Along the northern banks, a special place is reserved for tiny house neighbourhood. Our overall ambition is to enhance the qualities of walking, cycling and public transport and create a car-free neighbourhood by excluding traffic and underground garage entrances to the northern edges of the plan in three separate zones.
The team of Burton Hamfelt, LOLA Landscape Architects, UP+ and SHP will design specifically the docklands in the Southern part of the site as a separate and unique commission in the plan. A continuous park and promenade activate the riverbanks providing both a special address to the finger like structures of the building whilst offering spectacular wide views over the water and beautiful surroundings. Two big parks are planned, one central park with open spaces and wet meadows between the two residential areas, and a second one at the tip of the peninsula with a lookout hill where the waterways meet.
