The open space concept for the adaptive reuse and redevelopment of a former business and shopping  center organizes the landscaped outdoor areas on various levels according to characteristically distinct atmospheres. The varied open space typologies offer a differentiated spectrum of functionality, vistas, and activations that complement the new building’s programming.

From the ground floor, the entrances to the school, boarding house, and office spaces above are accessed via the existing Carl-Theodor-Reiffenstein-Platz, which is redefined by a new permeable surface and seating element that surrounds the preserved plane trees.

The new school on the fifth floor is connected by sky bridge to the vibrant outdoor play area of a rooftop park atop the adjacent parking garage. Surface graphics in different colors and textures as well as planters organize the park into zones: an expansive playground for schoolchildren, a fenced sports area usable by both the school and the public, and a public terrace, separated from the school’s outdoor area by a sculptural seating element. The public terrace is flexibly designed to suit multiple programs year-round, potentially featuring a lively Christmas market in the winter or a street food festival in the summer.

A “city terrace” on the sixth floor faces north over the Zeil promenade. The pixel-like forms of the furnishing elements and vegetation are in coherent dialogue with the gridded expressions of the Zeil as well as the rooftop park on the fifth floor below. On the top floor of the new buildings, two lush rooftop gardens create a special space for work and relaxation, featuring semi-paved surfaces, intensively vegetated areas, and fixed furnishings for various outdoor functions. Modular pergolas provide shade and integrate solar elements for energy generation, rounding off the outdoor usage options that complement the lively, multi-layered utilization of the new building.