A shelf of possibilities: The Königstraße 1ab
Located opposite Stuttgart’s main railway station, the Kö1ab building serves as a defining gateway to the city’s most prominent shopping street. Positioned at a prime urban location, it stands as a landmark—a model of sustainable reuse, blending innovation with a welcoming design. The design fosters connections and exchange, offering a dynamic space for diverse activities. Its horizontal façade, reminiscent of an open shelving system, provides flexible platforms for various functions, with openings and cross-level connectivity creating a vibrant and versatile environment.
The façade design embodies openness, transparency, and a strong connection to the location’s identity. Projections and recesses in the façade establish a dialogue with the surrounding architecture, creating high-quality balconies and terraces that offer views of the palace gardens and the soon to be completed main railway Station Stuttgart 21. The building’s staggered heights harmonize with the planned design of Königstrasse 1c, while also drawing inspiration from the urban design language of the prominently projecting base storey of the Schlossgarten Hotel on the north-east side.
Königstrasse 1ab sets a benchmark for the transformation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. By prioritizing the thoughtful use of resources, it exemplifies a building culture grounded in innovation, employing intelligently designed structures and regionally adapted materials and construction methods. This project demonstrates the potential of resource-efficient and circular construction, serving as a model for the building transition toward sustainability.
The use of secondary building materials forms the foundation of the project, leveraging the existing load-bearing structure up to the ceiling above the first floor. This approach reflects a contemporary and identity-defining reinterpretation of the original building while minimizing its carbon footprint. The extension and adaptive reuse integrate daylight optimization and natural ventilation, making Königstrasse 1ab a model for climate-conscious and circular construction. The result is a high-quality space for work, commerce, and retail, exemplifying sustainable urban development.
Our concept is guided by three key principles
Maximizing the preservation of the existing structure while adhering to workplace standards for clear room heights up to the ceiling above the first floor, and prioritizing the use of secondary building materials.
Optimizing daylight as a core element of the building design.
Incorporating wood as a resource-efficient, carbon-storing material for the new building.
The existing structural system is preserved up to the ceiling above the first floor, with selective removal to introduce natural light into the basement and inner courtyard. This strategy integrates the basement into the redensification concept, creating generous and open retail spaces alongside the ground floor. haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 placed particular emphasis on maximizing daylight on all floors adjacent to the façades. Key areas, such as entrances and shopfronts, are accentuated with prominent recesses in the plinth zone. The intersection of the Schiller and Theater passages plays a pivotal role, while the heart of the Schlossgarten quarter is further enhanced by openly designed two-storey expansions of the façade, adding to its vibrancy and appeal.
LBBW Immobilien
GFA: approx. 13,000 square metres above ground