MVRDV will be designing “KoolKiel,” a 65,000-square-meter mixed-use complex that will redevelop a post-industrial site in Kiel, Germany. The Dutch architecture firm has proposed a flexible design system, which can be adapted easily to the needs and desires of the community as the design development progresses. The project will include a hotel, offices, residences, commercial space, and an event space.Located in a formerly industrial area in Kiel, near the southernmost tip of the Kiel Fjord, the site is currently occupied by a large, single-story building, which was originally used for storing chains for ships. Recently, the building became notable for the printing of Germany’s famous “Werner” comics. The building is now known as W8 Medienzentrum, and is home to a variety of companies working mostly (but not exclusively) in media and the creative industries. This collection of tenants has given the area a unique and charismatic identity, which strongly influenced MVRDV’s subsequent design, according to MVRDV.                                                     “In a location with such a dynamic and creative existing community, it’s obvious that the community should have a say in this development,” said Jacob van Rijs, principal and cofounder of MVRDV. “’KoolKiel’ is not only inspired by them, but it also allows them to tailor the proposal to their wishes — we’re presenting them with not just a design, but also a question: ‘how ‘Kool’ do you want it?’”The new design will retain the existing structure of the W8 Medienzentrum as commercial units, topping it with apartments. “Next to this, a new building is proposed with a zigzagging plinth containing offices and shops, topped by several cubic blocks of housing, and a small tower of office spaces. At the end of the site, a 250-room hotel tower connects to the aforementioned plinth through a public event space, which will be used to host exhibitions and events organized by the community,” states MVRDV.The most striking feature of the building is the façade panels, which will be made from fiber reinforced concrete, and display a variety of icons inspired by the creative output of the locals.Another key feature is the integration of lively exterior spaces through a courtyard between the buildings filled with a variety of street furniture for the residents to occupy, and a rooftop park, which snakes its way around the three cubic blocks of housing.      https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin Read more