Schützengarten: new construction in Saxony’s cultural hub Dresden
Not far from the historic old town and the famous Zwinger palace, Deutsche Wohnen will be building a brand-new residential neighbourhood in the years to come that is set to change the face of the city: the Schützengarten. The name of the new neighbourhood is inspired by its original use in the 19th century. With this new development, Deutsche Wohnen is creating urgently needed living space in Saxony’s growing capital. It’s also an opportunity to ‘repair’ the city a little – dreary office buildings will soon give way to new life.
In the early 1980s, VEB Energiebau Radebeul built two high-rise office blocks and a low-rise canteen building opposite Dresden-Mitte railway station. During the Cold War, a bunker was built beneath the canteen for emergencies.
As befits this central location, the city of Dresden decided several years ago in favour of a residential neighbourhood that marks a return to the historical street layout and dimensions, instead of the commercial buildings. In line with the city’s desire for diverse architecture, Deutsche Wohnen conducted a workshop procedure with several architects in order to obtain the best design possible.
Sustainable neighbourhood development
The neighbourhood will be leafy and family-friendly, with space for neighbourly living and communal activities. Buildings four to seven storeys high will be built, with 479 residential units and 2,200 square metres of ground-floor commercial space to breathe new life into local streets. In what will be called the gatehouse, there will be around 80 barrier-free and, in part, wheelchair-accessible flats for assisted living. All the buildings are designed as a perimeter block development around three greened interior courtyards.
We attache particular importance to sustainability both in planning and construction. The entire project will be accompanied by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and certified upon completion.
The first groundbreaking ceremony took place
The demolition work, started at the end of 2018, has been completed meanwhile. With a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony, construction was officially started in May 2021. In the spirit of sustainable development, crushed pieces of concrete recovered from the demolition will be reused in the new construction.
Eyewitness talk
This site at the heart of the city has a long tradition. This is honoured by Deutsche Wohnen, for instance, with a historical assessment as a journey back in time to previous centuries. Deutsche Wohnen brought the past decades to life once again in June this year with an eyewitness talk. Former architects and works managers discussed their time at VEB Energiebau Radebeul. One special highlight was the time capsule, which was buried when the foundations for the VEB were laid. Forty years later, almost to the exact day, it was retrieved and presented by the manager in charge of the site at the time.