An inn once stood here at the town's eastern gateway, just beyond the railway underpass. After its demolition, the site languished as a parking lot for years. It took a thoughtfully designed multi-family residence by Bonasera Architects to breathe new life into the location. Their vision centered on fostering genuine community living through contemporary architecture with abundant shared gathering spaces.

Every residence enjoys unobstructed views across the city toward Schlossberg, thanks to the five-story building's southwest orientation. The sweeping balconies shade the expansive glass facades and provide essential protection against summer heat gain. External curtains filter the low sun while maintaining privacy—eliminating the need for individual parasols. The perforated aluminium balcony railings preserve sight lines inward while creating visual privacy, their geometric pattern casting ever-changing shadows and pearl-like reflections as the sun moves. To the north and east, the facade becomes more solid, facing the railway embankment and street with a perforated pattern punctuated by individual windows. The single-wythe masonry walls are rough-plastered and darkly finished to recede visually, while the smooth plaster reveals around the windows are painted white and intentionally oversized—a playful gesture that celebrates the windows' irregular yet purposeful arrangement.

The building contains seven apartments of varying sizes. Living, dining, and cooking spaces flow openly together, with fully glazed walls on every floor. Wave-like balconies punctuate the facade, creating dynamic spatial zones of different widths before each residence. Wood-aluminium windows and oak parquet flooring are hallmarks of the refined interior specification. The solid construction meets Efficiency House 70 standards. Ground-source heat pumps—four probes reaching 150 meters deep—supply heating. During summer, tempered water circulates through the extensive underfloor heating, producing a subtle yet noticeable cooling effect. A 21 kWp photovoltaic array on the flat roof further reduces primary energy consumption. Reinforced concrete floor slabs and 36.5-cm-thick tuff masonry provide substantial thermal mass.

A generous landscaped garden sits above the ten-space garage, open to all residents. Planted with fruit trees and berry bushes, it functions as the building's heart—a shared space that nurtures community bonds. Since residents moved in autumn 2019, communal living has flourished: house and garden celebrations mark every season. From conception, the project was driven by a singular philosophy: foster genuine encounter and dialogue. This was never to be an impersonal rental block. The stairwell exemplifies this commitment—far more than mere circulation, it serves as a luminous social hub with sightlines connecting all floors. Material choices reflect this intention: locally quarried shell limestone and oak-veneered doors create an authentic, warmly welcoming atmosphere felt immediately upon entering.

www.bonasera.de

Photography Credits:

Dirk Wilhelmy
www.wilhelmy-fotografie.de

(Featured in CUBE Stuttgart 03|22)