The beginnings of the main freight station go back over 140 years and are part of the city's history. After a major fire in 1930, reconstruction began on what was then the most modern freight hall in Europe. Due to the change in freight logistics and the relocation to the road, the main freight station was closed in 1997. After developing a future-oriented utilization concept, the southern half of the formerly 380 m long hall with its distinctive steel girder construction was preserved. lt forms the heart of the new district with its newly designed, passage-like traffic and communication areas inside. The open construction of the ceiling and the generously embedded glass fronts preserve the character of an open, coherent hall.
Two questions were at the heart of the landscape architectural concept: On the one hand, the question of how to create a meaningful transition from the previous use to the new requirements with a contemporary design; on the other hand, the question of how leisure activity and infrastructure in the new area of the old freight yard can be effectively linked. The generous open spaces convey between functional needs and aesthetic requirements. With careful consideration of the site conditions, a hybrid program was drafted in a clear design language. The individual areas are visually linked by a continuous graphic pattern of white stripes on a dark background. Vertical elements such as walls, stairs and retaining walls were made of black concrete, creating a tense contrast to the historic clinker facade of the building. From the southern city terrace opens the view to skate park, parking and green sycamore grove in front of the urban backdrop
