City Entrance Slüterstrasse, Rostock , 2017

For centuries, the city gate “Petritor” shaped the silhouette of Rostock’s old town. Its demolition destroyed this harmonious ensemble and thus a piece of the city’s historical identity. In order to close this huge gap in the evolved city structure, the construction of a new city gate has the task of restoring the historical structure of St. Peter’s Church, city wall, and the small townhouses of the old town, which are staggered on the slope, with contemporary architecture. The city gate once again plays a central role in the newly created urban ensemble with its strong cubature of reddish brick, which takes up the proportions of the original Petritor. As in the past, only the shape of the roof is varied. The closed brick envelope dissolves into a filigree network of brick pillars and precast concrete lintels along the east façade. This inviting gesture shapes the unmistakable appearance of the new Petritor at the eastern entrance to the city. The wide passageways and the large loggia on the upper floor are part of a façade composition of differentiated openings that plays with the themes of security and transparency. The office and residential buildings are constructed in the style of Rostock’s townhouses as simple plaster buildings with punctuated façades.