Frankfurt – Harheim town centre (1st Prize)
When the sun of culture is low, even dwarves will cast shadows.
(Karl Kraus)
The city of Frankfurt executed an invitation to tender to mark the millennium jubilee of the district of Harheim, which was to be judged by a panel of experts. The municipality, a Catholic enclave, had intended to rebuild a Catholic church in the town centre, which had been demolished by the National Socialists, at the scale of 1:2, and it would be available for a number of different uses.
It was proposed to subdivide the very large-scale open space into two areas in keeping with the structure and character of the location, each with its own different proportions and functional purposes. On the one hand, the dimensions of the historic church square were restored, and on the other, a so-called ‘fountain square’ is created in association with the surrounding residential development. The legitimate demand of the residents for a clear representation of the religious character and history of the square was to be respected. They should be able to appropriate emotionally the opportunities for identification and association.
In order to make this intention clear, it was proposed that a layout contour of the church should be placed in the square, with the building represented as a torso in the form of a stainless steel framework.
Unfortunately the square was not completed in accordance with these plans.