The design proposes the sustainable and land-efficient transformation of Kassel’s former harbour into a compact, mixed-use and productive urban quarter with high-quality public spaces. Clearly defined urban edges frame generous open spaces, offering views towards greenery and water on all sides. A rich interplay of density and openness, light and shadow, activity and retreat creates a distinctive and vibrant neighbourhood identity.

At the heart of the masterplan lies the harbour promenade and the “Productive Alley”, running alongside the historic warehouse as the central spatial and social backbone of the quarter. Three main public squares connect the promenade with the Productive Alley, fostering permeability and urban life.
Residential courtyards with mixed uses extend eastwards towards the landscape, while productive courtyards and workshops complete the quarter to the north, mediating in scale towards the surrounding green areas. A wide range of robust and flexible building typologies enables the close integration of living, working and production.

Open Space and Landscape
The project creates a diverse and interconnected open space network. Along the Fulda river, a green waterfront band forms a continuous promenade, culminating in a quiet lookout point at the northern tip of the peninsula. Within the dense urban fabric, narrow alleys, niches and plazas create varied spatial experiences and activate the water’s edge. To the east, an existing green corridor is strengthened and developed into a landscape band for recreation and climate adaptation, connecting the harbour promenade with the surrounding landscape.

Sustainability and Ecology
Ecological strategies are integral to the design: green and biodiverse roofs, climate-adapted public spaces, blue-green infrastructure, extensive tree planting and decentralized rainwater management improve microclimate and resilience. The reuse of existing buildings and materials preserves embodied energy, while sealed surfaces are largely reduced and replaced by permeable materials. Nearly all roofs are greened and combined with photovoltaic systems.

Uses and Adaptive Reuse
The Hafenquartier becomes a lively, mixed-use district with a strong focus on production, culture and the creative economy. Central to this vision is the adaptive reuse of the listed former grain silo as the Centre for Creative Industries Kassel. The silo hosts public spaces, a café, coworking areas, event spaces, makerspaces, exhibition and concert halls, while retaining existing cultural uses such as the shipping museum, rehearsal rooms and studios.
The historic harbour buildings along the promenade are preserved and activated with communal and cultural uses, including a public canteen opening directly onto the waterfront. Workshops, studios, small-scale production, local retail and neighbourhood services extend along the Productive Alley, ensuring visibility and economic viability for local makers.

The Kassel harbour is thus reimagined as an open, productive and culturally vibrant urban district that respects its industrial heritage while offering a sustainable place to work, live and gather.