When Karstadt closed its doors in Recklinghausen in 2016, it marked the end of 123 years of department store heritage in the heart of the old town. Today, the MarktQuartier Recklinghausen stands in its place—revitalizing this prominent location with fresh purpose. AIP Architects rose to the challenge, conducting a thorough site analysis before designing and executing a property tailored to diverse uses. From 2018 through the planning phase, the building served as a temporary cultural venue. Upon completion in 2023, the development now thrives with a dynamic mix: retail shops, a café with terrace seating, medical and professional offices, a hotel, a nursery, and assisted living residences—all weaving together a vibrant community destination.

The project's foundation was shaped by mining subsidence—a challenge that has defined Recklinghausen since 1892, when the ground began sinking at a rate of approximately six metres. The former Karstadt building bore witness to this geological reality, with structural tilts reaching up to 80 centimetres in some areas. Compounding these complexities, existing floor heights and slab thicknesses diverged significantly from the original plans. The solution demanded precision engineering: selective demolition of certain sections, structural adjustments to accommodate the slope, recalculated lateral loads on supporting columns, and carefully engineered lightweight façades. Yet this partial demolition opened an unexpected opportunity—the addition of a new hotel tower with multiple storeys. The historic market-facing façade was thoughtfully preserved and reimagined on the upper levels as assisted living residences, complete with loggias and distinctive red awnings. Equally transformative was the reopening of the 1970s-sealed atrium, now reimagined as an inviting courtyard brimming with vegetation and anchored by a generous water feature—a design intervention that floods the entire property with natural light. Adjacent to the main structure, the former bedding warehouse was expanded upward by two storeys to accommodate a modern daycare facility. The crowning touch: a rooftop play area that brings vitality to the building's uppermost reaches.

The revitalisation stands as a compelling success, as confirmed by AIP Architects, who underscore the project's remarkable complexities: "Mining-induced subsidence demanded extraordinary precision in implementation planning, with every floor requiring meticulous height compensation. When breathing new life into an existing department store, the key lies in anticipating structural obstacles and engineering solutions that make economically viable conversion feasible." The project earned second place in the "Reactivated Centres" category at the 2024 polis Award.

www.aip-unternehmensgruppe.de

Photography:
Marcel Kusch
www.marcelkusch.de

(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 03|24)