Mainz is getting a high-rise office building in an optimal waterside location.Michael Ebling, Lord Mayor of Mainz; Dr Bruno Ettenauer, CEO of CA Immo; Detlev Höhne, CEO of Stadtwerke Mainz AG; and architect Axel Bienhaus, deputy chairman of the jury, today presented the architecture for the “Hafenspitze” site at the real estate trade fair Expo Real in Munich.The winning design comes from the architect’s office MVRDV (Rotterdam).The firms Auer + Weber + Assoziierte (Stuttgart/Munich) and Spengler Wiescholek (Hamburg) were each awarded second place.The design from Gewers & Pudewill (Berlin) was given third place.

For the realisation of the site, CA Immo ran an international architectural competition involving seven architect’s offices. Axel Bienhaus explains the unanimous decision of the jury to choose the MVRDV design as the winner: “The design handles the various urban-development requirements in an extremely convincing manner. MVRDV succeeds in setting a strong urban-development accent and simultaneously in fulfilling the important noise prevention conditions. The jury was also impressed by the innovative and original architecture, which refrains from making any fashionable gestures. This clear attitude is also supported by the fact that the tension-filled façade design, which connects the two independent buildings to form one complex, arises from the function and ecological concept. High functional quality rounds off the overall idea. Through impressive ground plans, the design creates modern working environments and the highest level of flexibility. It is also very efficient in terms of space.”

Dr Bruno Ettenauer, CEO of CA Immo, emphasises: “The ‘Hafenspitze’ complex will once again prove our expertise as a developer of high-quality office buildings. The architecture selected meets our aim of creating high-quality, sustainable working environments. We are convinced that our concept will impress a wide range of office users. Not only does the landmark character of the building fit in outstandingly with our portfolio strategy; ‘Hafenspitze’ is also perfect for Mainz.”

Michael Ebling, Lord Mayor of Mainz, agrees with this assessment: “The winner of the competition will create an architectural highlight in the Zollhafen quarter. Little by little one gets an impression of what the quarter will look like. 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. This is the intention and will certainly continue to provide a topic for conversation.”

The site is located in the north of the Zollhafen quarter in Mainz and borders directly on the harbour basin. The “Hafenspitze” building complex includes around 12,000 m² (about 129,167 ft²) of floor space and is expected to be realised in two stages of construction. For the rear part of the site, the design envisages a five-storey building with a very flexible structure in terms of space, permitting both small-scale and more extensive use. A 42-metre-high (138-foot-high) office building will then be created at the front with an attractive square lying by the harbour basin.

Like all CA Immo buildings, this complex will be realised in compliance with strict sustainability requirements and certified as a green building.

Exhibition to open on 15 October in the Weinlager building:

The designs submitted by all competition participants for the “Hafenspitze” site will be exhibited at Zollhafen Mainz Weinlager, Taunusstraße 59-61, from 15 to 26 October (opening times: Mon.-Fri. 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Sat./Sun. 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.). Lord Mayor Ebling will open the exhibition on 15 October at 3:30 p.m. with representatives from CA Immo Deutschland GmbH and Stadtwerke Mainz AG.

The following architect’s offices took part in the realisation competition:

- Auer + Weber + Assoziierte, Stuttgart/Munich (second prize)

- AV1 Architekten, Kaiserslautern

- Gewers & Pudewill, Berlin (third prize)

- MVRDV, Rotterdam (first prize)

- slapa oberholz pszczunlny, Düsseldorf

- Spengler Wiescholek, Hamburg (second prize)

- yes architecture, Munich

Enquiries

Markus Diekow
CA Immo Deutschland GmbH - Corporate Communications
Europa-Allee 22
60327 Frankfurt
Telefon: +49 – 69 – 606 27 – 115
Mobil: +49 –172 – 6795948
Email: markus.diekow@caimmo.de