Grugacarree, Essen Housing project in the south of Essen - 2004 to 2007

In a competition, the concept developed by the Essen architects kza and plan b was awarded one of the two first prizes. With the Düsseldorf architects Petzinka, Pink, a two-part structure was subsequently created for the building construction. The landscape architecture developed a unifying formal language for the project, which comprises 111 flats.

The quiet inner courtyard provides a soothing contrast to the surrounding city; it was designed with clear structures and plants to create a "jardin secret" where tenants can relax and communicate with each other under magnolias and among lush hydrangeas. The surrounding wall base was designed with a relief; the homage to the Gruga is the stylised tulip. The granite stone of the square areas of the Festwiese was reused.Tenant gardens complement the ground-floor flats with a contemporary open space offer. A sculptural playground in the inner courtyard and a seating area with box lime trees round off the offer.
The stylised tulip was the signet of the first Great Ruhr Horticultural Exhibition in 1929, designed by Jo Pieper.translated into a formwork matrix and applied to the enclosing wall of the building ensemble, it becomes the symbol, the address of the "Grugacarree" residential project.