…and the Art of Continuing the City

Large-scale structures such as department stores, office complexes, administrative buildings, and residential developments are often perceived by urban designers in much the same way as the “illusionary giant” from Michael Ende’s Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver: their sheer scale can make them appear overwhelming, encouraging planners to avoid the complex task of transforming them. Yet, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that these structures can indeed be approached and reimagined on equal terms.

In 2025, the Collini Center celebrated its 50th anniversary. Like many large-scale developments of its era, the ensemble not only required extensive refurbishment but also demanded a fundamental rethinking due to years of vacancy and the obsolescence of its original programme. Based on an intensive examination of the typology of large-scale urban structures, the studio developed proposals for the transformation of the ensemble and the redesign of its surroundings.

Working in eight design teams, the students transformed the long-vacant ten-storey office tower and the disused shopping arcade into mixed-use urban neighbourhoods that combined new housing with programme elements generating urban activity, such as restaurants, retail, and cultural venues, as well as community facilities including libraries, schools, and sports programmes. The existing structure was selectively reduced and strategically extended, creating new urban spaces and high-quality public places. While the robust existing framework was filled with new life, the architectural qualities and landmark character of this listed 1970s ensemble were carefully preserved and reinterpreted.