ADEPT wins 192 ha transformation of Airbase Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich

Airbase Fürstenfeldbruck

Chosen by a unanimous jury, Stadt Fürstenfeldbruck has chosen a winning proposal by Copenhagen-Hamburg based ADEPT as the base for a transformation of the Airbase Fürstenfeldbruck.

Turning the fenced off military area into a varied and vibrant urban area, the proposal draws on local identity and motley history as a resource, with a design that keeps as much of the existing as possible.

Fürstenfeldbruck Airbase has shaped the region north-west of Munich for almost 100 years. Its history as an airbase for the Wehrmacht, the US Army, the US Air Force, and the Luftwaffe has left behind characteristic evidence of its former use.

When the military leave the area in a few years, history, architectural heritage, and surrounding landscape will be the foundation of a new identity, turning the 192 hectare site into an ambitious and experimental urban area.

The winning proposal by ADEPT builds on the existing structural qualities to transform the airbase, keeping a much of the existing building volume as possible. The conversion of the airbase area is a dynamic development process that will continue over the coming decades.

The required balance between village and urban, nature and programmed public space is not entirely foreseeable today. This makes it even more important that the masterplan strategies can react flexibly in terms of programming and with different density scenarios to changing demands and priorities in the future.

All conceptual and urban ‘layers’ are developed in a parallel process at different scales to test, understand and visualize the crucial correlations from regional strategies to building scale. The transformed airbase targets a wide range of resident types and their day-to-day demands.

The residential clusters, formed of various flat sizes and architectural typologies, offer community-orientated living with the redesigned public spaces acting as extended green living rooms, places to play and meet.

The mix of old and new creates a unique urban experience that is as diverse as the area itself. Historic and listed buildings are primarily transformed into neighborhood anchor points – schools, community centers, sports facilities etc.

New buildings are planned up to five floors, adapting to the existing trees. Buildings integrate green elements on roofs and façades and are encouraged to be built with wood constructions and resource consciousness. Source by ADEPT.

  • Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
  • Architect: ADEPT
  • Collaboration: PGT Umwelt und Verkehr
  • Client: Stadt Fürstenfeldbruck
  • Area: 192 ha
  • Year: 2024
  • Images: Vivid Vision, Courtesy of ADEPT