Ledigenwohnheim (Bachelor Apartments) in Darmstadt, 1952-1955
one of the so called Meisterbauten, today known as the Ernst-Neufert-Bau
Restructuring and Revitalisation 1999-2002
for more Information: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledigenwohnheim_(Mathildenhöhe)
title: conversion and modernisation of the former single bachelor home by Ernst Neufert
purpose: conversion from 156 to 82 residential units
location: Pützerstraße 6/6a, 64287 Darmstadt
client: Bauverein AG, Darmstadt
project: 1998
building time: 2000 - 2002
structural engineer: S+P GmbH, Schlier und Partner, Darmstadt
Ernst Neufert's design for a home for single people, which was shown in the "Man and Space" exhibition in 1951, was realised in 1952-55 by Bauverein AG on a plot at the foot of the Mathildenhöhe, directly on the Erich-Ollenhauer-Promenade. As one of five masterpieces realised in Darmstadt, it is an important testimony to the architectural debate of the post-war period. With 156 residential units, including 131 one-bedroom flats, the building was primarily intended for single people and young married couples and, due to social changes, no longer meets today's demands for living space. After the conversion, a residential mix appropriate to the residential value of the "Mathildenhöhe" location will be created, consisting of the types "atrium flat", "maisonette flat" and "multi-storey flat", which are arranged and interlinked within the existing structure by combining the former one-room units in such a way as to create a kind of spatial puzzle. Design features of the listed building are taken up and reinforced or continued elsewhere. The result is an independent design concept that varies the themes of the 1950s and processes them in a contemporary way.The project has been published several times in the specialised press and has received numerous prizes and awards.In 2003, Edition Axel Menges published a monograph on the building (Neufert/Karle+Buxbaum Ernst-Neufert-Bau, Darmstadt: Opus 50, ISBN-10-3930698501).
