The architecture firm Konrath und Wennemar has spent years shaping the distinctive urban character of Grafental. Through several residential projects, the Düsseldorf-based architects have proven how residential diversity and distinctive design can work in harmony. Their latest venture comprises three residential buildings that define two inner courtyard spaces and captivate through their façades—a strikingly intricate composition of layered elements.

Breaking from tradition, these buildings depart from the U-shaped typology used in earlier phases. Instead, three perpendicular solitary volumes converge to form a unified ensemble. Part of a larger development containing six residential buildings, they loosely frame two courtyards between Metrostraße and Hohenzollernallee. The challenge was clear: give each courtyard unmistakable character while establishing a bold architectural statement—one that would command attention yet harmonize with its context. The design inspiration came from the client's own vision: a cluster of freely floating cubes. The architects embraced this concept, composing nearly cubic bay windows in a playful, liberated arrangement across the façades, then layering them with a second tier of variously-scaled balconies. The result is a façade that orchestrates light and shadow with remarkable sophistication, especially as daylight moves across the surfaces. To emphasize this interplay while maintaining continuity with neighboring structures, material restraint became the strategy: two buildings feature clean white plaster, while the third introduces warm sand-toned brick, its balconies and bay windows picked out in white plaster. From any approach angle, a white façade consistently pairs with a brick volume, reinforcing visual coherence. Achieving these layered façade planes demanded precision—requiring three distinct scaffolding levels, a level of rigor uncommon in comparable projects.

The projecting bay-cube structures create a distinctive variety of floor plans—especially in living and sleeping areas—that is rarely seen in residential construction. In fact, virtually no two floor plans are identical. At the same time, the bay windows offer an unusual diversity of views and sight lines toward the surrounding landscape. Like the earlier construction phases, these three residential buildings with a total of 109 units are built above a shared underground parking garage, allowing all vehicular traffic to be housed below ground. This approach creates a richly designed garden landscape that extends beyond the access roads and serves residents as both a social gathering space and play area.

www.konrath-wennemar.de

Photography Credits:

Max Hampel
www.maxhampel.com

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 03|22)