Trei Real Estate GmbH (Trei), a property developer and property asset holder for residential and retail real estate, just launched the architectural competition for its Zollhafen Mainz property development. In summer 2019, Trei had acquired the development sites “Hafeninsel II and III” in the northern part of Mainz. The company is planning to construct around 150 rental and ownership apartments here. Seven architectural firms from all over Germany are participating in the competition, these being caspar.schmitzmorkramer (Cologne), Eike Becker_Architekten (Berlin), Fischer Architekten (Mannheim), HPP Architekten (Düsseldorf), J.MAYER.H und Partner (Berlin), KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten (Frankfurt am Main) and RKW Architektur + Rhode Kellermann Wawrowsky (Düsseldorf). The winning design concept will be presented to the public during the second quarter of 2020.
Pepijn Morshuis, CEO of Trei Real Estate, commented: “Zollhafen Mainz is an attractive neighbourhood development in a first-line waterfront location next to the Rhine and within walking distance of the inner city. We generally attach great importance on high-spec architecture in our residential projects, and are pleased to see prestigious architectural firms across Germany take such keen interest.”
The specifications for the architectural firms stipulate that the port islands should each evolve a distinct character. Their design structures are supposed to differ significantly from each other. The idea is to keep the two developments from looking like a matching pair. The differentiation between the two islands is already achieved by the way the apartments are marketed: While Hafeninsel II (Fischerhof) is earmarked for rental housing, Hafeninsel III (Lotsenhof) is to be developed in the form of ownership apartments. That being said, the technical-structural planning of the two building designs is supposed to have a common basis.
Another key aspect of the architects’ brief is that due consideration is to be given to the relationships of buildings and grounds to the canals as well as to the adjacent private and public outdoor areas.