What stands on the grounds of the former Benrath Hospital is a testament to the vision of Benrath's residents. They laid the groundwork in the early 2000s with their concept for a multi-generational housing project—an idea that gained momentum in 2013. Their goal was clear: create a neighbourhood where seniors and young families thrive as good neighbours, supporting one another. The vision became reality, particularly once the Städtische Wohnungsgesellschaft Düsseldorf (SWD) joined as developer. Their guiding principle: deliver affordable, publicly supported housing alongside privately financed units to ensure genuine social diversity. An architectural competition followed, and Aldinger Architekten emerged as the winning design team. Today, after less than three years of construction, their concept is fully realized on-site. The neighbourhood's focal point is a historic, protected chapel, anchored by six buildings arranged in a semicircle. This arrangement creates a meandering green corridor through the centre, which naturally draws the eye to the chapel's prominence. The design strategy—balancing built form with generous open space—extends seamlessly from north to south through the entire complex. A planted promenade of shrubs and perennials runs along the pathway, creating privacy screens for ground-floor residents. The six four-storey buildings, topped with green roofs and containing 91 apartments total, each feature distinctive trapezoidal floor plans. Despite their compositional unity—a refined palette of light scratch plaster and darker clinker bases—every structure holds its own identity. The architects approached the entire design with restraint and sensitivity, ensuring the new neighbourhood harmonizes naturally with its surroundings. A prime example: how the buildings respectfully extend the character of the existing villa development along Hospitalstraße and Benrodestraße.

www.aldingerarchitekten.de

Photography Credits:

Bernd Schaller
www.schallerfoto.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 03|23)