Built in a prime city centre location in Dortmund on the site of a vacant department store, Basecamp illustrates the contemporary functional transformation of urban space from stationary retail to a versatile residential and leisure location. Here, student accommodation is combined with a hotel and commercial space.

In the historic surroundings of Reinoldikirche church and Brückstraße, as well as Dortmund's main shopping street and cultural mile, Basecamp is contributing to the urban redevelopment of Leeds Square, revitalising the city centre and having a positive structural impact on the Brückstraße district. With its light-coloured clinker brick façade, the building blends harmoniously into the hybrid cityscape along Kampstraße. Bevelled window reveals bring the square grid of the perforated façade to life and lend the 100-metre-long building block a sense of depth. The slightly recessed ground floor is designed as a glass base. On the street side, a colonnade leads to the main entrance, which is protected from the weather and emphasised by a glass joint recessed into the façade. As a result of a kink in the building line, the joint creates a widening of the interior access, which also allows for a variety of views in and out. The joint runs through all floors as a contrasting offset break. Up to the fifth floor, it offers a view of Reinoldikirche church and a glimpse into the communal areas of the Basecamp. These include the lobby area on the ground floor and, on the upper floors, a gym, a cinema, co-working spaces and laundry rooms. On the upper floor, the glass joint continues eastwards as floor-to-ceiling glazing, offering a panoramic view of the city from the rooftop bar. The 450 rooms of the Basecamp are arranged in a comb structure around three inner courtyards. The ground floor houses shops and restaurants as well as the lobby for student accommodation and hotel operations. The fully equipped student apartments and hotel rooms are located on the first to sixth floors. Each eight to twelve student rooms have access to a shared kitchen on the same floor. Student rooms with integrated kitchenettes complement the accommodation options. There are 190 bicycle parking spaces in the basement and 33 in an underground car park. The stepped façade at the rear of the building creates a system of staggered terraces. This gives the previously rather dark and narrow Hohe Luft alleyway better lighting and more space.

www.gerberarchitekten.de

Photography Credits:

Hans Juergen Landes
www.landesfoto.de

(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 01|23)