MULTI-ALLEY STORY
The Multihalle is a building set in a green park-landscape (Herzogenriedpark) in the city of Mannheim. Originally planned to be a provisional structure for the German National Garden Show 1975 (Bundesgartenshow) its iconic form is still very much present today. As the building nowadays is mostly unused the question is how to fill it with new life and how it needs to be adapted for future uses.
Our Multi-alley project is based on a holistic concept with regard to urbanity, landscape, architecture and function. The characteristic roof and the elevated path will remain the main features whereas the inner organisation as well as the landscape will be adapted.
We see the Multihalle as iconic object which continually loses importance in the everyday lives of Mannheim citizens. The goal must be to revitalize the building and bring it back to people's consciousness.
In order to reach this goal we developed a toolbox focusing on four aspects: 1. Strengthen east- west connection, 2. Clear main entrances, 3. Experienceable landscape, and 4. Adapted use
''The iconic building is brought back to people’s consciousness through clear connections to its surroundings and the city. The Multi-alley offers new uses and functions yet leaves a lot of free space for various activities and future adaption.''
The existing podium-construction in the big bubble will be separated into two stories. This allows for more usable space within the same shape. The technical rooms are mostly preserved. On the ground floor level studios and workshops are allocated towards the big open space. This allows the users to expand their activity into the hall and to fill it with life. The different studios/workshops can have changing uses and the rooms can be combined or divided as they are only separated with lightweight walls. Community kitchen, foyer and catering are located on the first floor. Those rooms are over-height and also divided with lightweight walls which makes it possible to interconnect the rooms and form a big hall for 300+ people. Similarly to the ground floor the uses can expand out toward the hall and use the space on the terrace.
In the little bubble we keep the restaurant which is set on the ground floor level and directed towards the south. I t will be refurbished and offers seating for 100 people of which 50 within the bar area and 50 in the main hall. On the upper floor we plan wooden lightweight modules which host 34 working spaces in different configurations as well as meeting and group rooms. The volumes are partially two stories high and their size relate to the overarching roof of the hall. The office volumes fit in elegantly without distracting from the experience of the space with the omnipresent timber grid shell roof construction. The volumes are grouped around an open space in the middle which is used as Public Square for the users / office workers.
