Rheinstraße / Friedensplatz 2-6

It was the first building in the upper Rheinstraße to be rebuilt from the ruins after the Second World War and thus also shaped the cityscape of post-war Darmstadt to a certain extent: the building in Rheinstraße 1, where the "Modehaus Schrumpf" resided. The clothing store, which opened in 1937, was a Darmstadt institution until January 2011, when the family business closed its doors.

As the owner of this and the neighbouring buildings on Friedensplatz, bauverein AG then decided to modernise the entire site. The main aim was to reduce traffic and access areas in favour of rentable space, standardise and centralise the technical supply and develop a uniform look for the site. The building complex was also to be used in future for a combination of office and retail space as well as some top-floor flats. A long-established Darmstadt-based clothing company was secured as the main tenant and moved in back in 2012.

During the subsequent conversion, retail space was enlarged, floor plans were economised and upgraded, basement areas were activated and a gap between Friedensplatz 6 and Schleiermacherstrasse was closed by building over it. The passageway between the street and the inner courtyard was retained. In addition, the building at Friedensplatz 6 was extended from two to three storeys. In return, the five existing stairwells were reduced to two stairwells and the energy supply was centralised. The top floor, with its exposed wooden beams, was also converted into six student flats. With its row of shops on the ground floor - which also houses a restaurant - the modernised building on Friedensplatz has been a real eye-catcher ever since.

Photos: © Frank Seifert, www.frank-seifert.com