Chosen by a unanimous jury, Stadt Fürstenfeldbruck has chosen a winning proposal by Copenhagen-Hamburg based ADEPT as the base for a transformation of the Airbase Fürstenfeldbruck. Turning the fenced off military area into a varied and vibrant urban area, the proposal draws on local identity and motley history as a resource, with a design that keeps as much of the existing as possible.

Fürstenfeldbruck Airbase has shaped the region north-west of Munich for almost 100 years. Its history as an airbase for the Wehrmacht, the US Army, the US Air Force, and the Luftwaffe has left behind characteristic evidence of its former use. When the military leave the area in a few years, history, architectural heritage, and surrounding landscape will be the foundation of a new identity, turning the 192-hectare site into an ambitious and experimental urban area. The winning proposal by ADEPT builds on the existing structural qualities to transform the airbase, keeping a much of the existing building volume as possible.

The conversion of the airbase area is a dynamic development process that will continue over the coming decades. The required balance between village and urban, nature and programmed public space is not entirely foreseeable today. This makes it even more important that the masterplan strategies can react flexibly in terms of programming and with different density scenarios to changing demands and priorities in the future. All conceptual and urban 'layers' are developed in a parallel process at different scales to test, understand and visualize the crucial correlations from regional strategies to building scale.

The transformed airbase targets a wide range of resident types and their day-to-day demands. The residential clusters, formed of various flat sizes and architectural typologies, offer community-orientated living with the redesigned public spaces acting as extended green living rooms, places to play and meet. The mix of old and new creates a unique urban experience that is as diverse as the area itself. Historic and listed buildings are primarily transformed into neighborhood anchor points - schools, community centers, sports facilities etc. New buildings are planned up to five floors, adapting to the existing trees. Buildings integrate green elements on roofs and façades and are encouraged to be built with wood constructions and resource consciousness.

Structuring streets and paths are redeveloped, maintaining the existing grid as the DNA of the area. Streets are transformed from grey to green as the ratio of non-permeable surfaces is reduced. The aim is to keep the inner residential areas free of motorized traffic, prioritizing pedestrians, and bicycles. The main access road is redesigned as a green public space with urban activities. Strategies for rainwater management, microclimate, and biodiversity are integrated in the overall mobility network. The existing vegetation is preserved as the foundation for a green network anchoring the new development. The expanded green ratio builds additional diverse and resilient bio-habitats. Rainwater management is integrated in the landscape design as a visible element, just as plantation strategies focus on biodiversity and micro-climate.

Project name: Fliegehorst Fürstenfeldbruck

Architect: ADEPT

Website: www.adept.dk

Contact: [email protected]

 Location: Fürstenfeldbruck DE

Year: 2024

Area: 192 ha

Client: Stadt Fürstenfeldbruck

Collaboration: PGT Umwelt und Verkehr

Credit: ADEPT + Vivid Vision