Höfe am Brühl
With its historic arcades and courtyards, Leipzig’s city centre is criss-crossed by a complex system of urban spaces. This theme is taken up by the new construction of a multifunctional shopping centre with a basic structure of alleys, courtyards, stairways and bridges. The large building volume is divided into readable building units that take up the scale of the historic urban structure with a changing façade design of stone slats, metal and printed glass. The functions of shopping, parking and living are organised vertically, so that cars cross the pedestrians’ paths at airy heights and the patio houses on the roof with their communal outdoor area have an almost suburban character. The ensemble’s head building is clad in the listed façade of Leipzig’s “Blechbüchse” – once the largest department stores’ in the GDR and a city landmark.
THE PROJECT:
The “Höfe am Brühl” shopping center was built in one of the most traditional streets in Leipzig's city centre, on the site of the listed “Blechbüchse”, the former Konsument department store. The new seven-storey building is connected to the listed building and, with a gross floor area of 120,000 m², 120 stores, 31 penthouses and 820 parking spaces, is one of the largest inner-city shopping centers in Germany. The building with a reinforced concrete skeleton construction was built between 2008 and 2012 on behalf of mfi management für immobilien AG.
Schüßler-Plan was commissioned with the structural design of work phases 1 to 6. The building complex has many structural highlights.
A particular challenge was to incorporate the large number of change requests on schedule during the 12-month shell construction phase without jeopardizing the deadline for the execution planning.
The reinforced concrete ceilings were designed with spans of up to 13 m. Creative and economical structural solutions enabled cantilevered storeys of up to 14 m above the main entrance as well as supports for several bracing stairwells above the truck delivery area. The entire building statics were designed in such a way that there is the greatest possible flexibility in the load-bearing structure and changes of use are possible without any problems. All types of conversions or installations are therefore guaranteed.
