"The Day of Architecture is not just for architecture insiders. It offers the often unique opportunity to view building projects that are otherwise not open to the public and to receive first-hand explanations from the planners themselves," emphasizes First City Councillor and City Planning Councillor Kai-Uwe Hirschheide.

Tour of the Wiesengarten

In the Wiesengarten development area, hsv-architekten BDA from Braunschweig will be giving a guided tour of the three-building residential complex at 10.00, 11.30, 13.00 and 14.30. Located on the northern edge of the residential area, the complex marks the transition to the rural surroundings. The buildings were arranged in such a way that, in addition to private residential gardens, protected semi-private communal zones were also created.

"Together, the three buildings form a striking, individual living space that marks the urban entrance to the Wiesengarten," explains architect Dominik Siebold. The total of 59 two-, three- and five-room apartments were all designed to be barrier-free, including nine wheelchair-accessible apartments. The open space design, including an intensively greened underground parking garage roof, was created by GTL Landschaftsarchitektur from Kassel. The building owner is VR-ImmobilienPartner GmbH.

Focus on the new Robert-Koch-Platz

With the Robert-Koch-Platz, another urban construction project is also represented at the Day of Architecture. The newly designed square was officially opened at the end of May. "As a central square in the Handwerkerviertel district and as a prestigious campus entrance and meeting point for Ostfalia University, the redesign, which has now been completed, is an important building block in the Handwerkerviertel redevelopment area," says Hirschheide, explaining the project.

The Berlin office Häfner Jiménez Betcke Jarosch Landschaftsarchitektur, which won the competition for the redesign, will be offering guided tours at 10.30 am, 12 noon and 3 pm. "The square has been reinterpreted in a contemporary way as an ornamental square and its design makes reference to the plans of the 1950s," explains landscape architect Jens Betcke about the design. Characteristic features were retained, interpreted in a modern way and adapted to current requirements.

The central lawn area, which used to be framed by paths, was enclosed by a new frame made of in-situ concrete, which functions both as a path and recreational area as well as a seating step. The area is barrier-free on the north side. For better visual connections and a greater sense of security, the hedge-like yew bushes on the long sides were thinned out and supplemented with newly planted ornamental cherries, whose flowers attract insects in spring.

The sculpture, which was previously placed on a small elevation in the middle of the green space, was given a new position on the south side. This means that the lawn can not only be used for events in future, but also functions as an infiltration area by lowering it in relation to the surrounding framing.

Based on the redesign of Robert-Koch-Platz from the ornamental square of the 1950s to a modern neighborhood and campus square, the Forum Architektur der Stadt Wolfsburg is offering a two-hour bike tour entitled From ornamental square to rainwater management - square designs in transition. "Selected examples will be used to show the function of squares and open spaces in the city and how they have changed over the course of time," says Esther Orant, Head of the Forum Architektur der Stadt, describing the offer.

The program will include typical market squares and neighborhood squares from the 1950s and 1960s as well as current projects that respond to climate change and social changes, such as the open space concept of the Hellwinkel Terraces. Past and future meet again at Rathausplatz.

What's next for the Rathausplatz?

The existing buildings tell a piece of Wolfsburg's city history, and the planned redesign of the town hall square as part of the Resilient City Centers funding program aims to adapt the square's design to the future challenges of climate change. The cycle tour starts at 10 am. Due to limited places, registration is required by e-mail: forum.architektur@stadt.wolfsburg.de.

All offers for the Day of Architecture are free of charge. The entire program is available on the website of the Lower Saxony Chamber of Architects at www.aknds.de. The brochures with all the projects and events are now also available in the town hall and at the tourist information office at the train station.