THE BOX Hanover
BackProject type
Conversion and renovation of former department store building
Status
Competition
3rd prize
Location
Hanover, Germany
Time
2026
Client
THE BOX Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH
The project site is located in the heart of Hanover's historic old town, in a prominent location in the immediate vicinity of the Marktkirche church and the Old Town Hall. The existing building, a former Kaufhof department store, stands out like a sore thumb in the delicate historic fabric of the old town with its massive, closed cubature and introverted façade design.
Our design aims to break up the monolithic structure and reintegrate it into "Green Hanover" and the location's historical identity in a functional and creative way. The formerly uninviting, closed façade will be completely dismantled and replaced with a transparent, extroverted structure that incorporates intensive green roofing.
The most radical intervention involves the building's exterior. The formerly closed, uninviting façade is being completely dismantled and replaced with a transparent, extroverted structure. The building opens up to the city, revealing the dynamic inner life of the trade school to the outside world and engaging with the public space.
The design for the former Kaufhof site in Hanover is not just a conversion, but an urban repair project that transforms the site's origins into a resilient future. Layering functions (education, housing, and sports), referencing local culture, and innovatively opening up the façade create a building that honors its past while boldly looking to the future.
A formerly introverted commercial building is being transformed into a high-profile urban center for education and social interaction—a new green and cultural identity for Hanover's old town.
Projects partners
Lars Krückeberg, Georg Schmidthals, Sven Fuchs, Thomas Willemeit, Wolfram Putz
Team
Zsolt Gondos, David Greve, Anne Kleinlein
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