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Archiv Asemwald, aus Informationsbroschüre „Wohnstadt Asemwald Stuttgart“

than made up for by the short construction time. Ceilings and walls were constructed in an uninter-
rupted working process using a so-called formwork carriage, which travelled along the entire length
of the building! Balcony balustrades, stairs and lift shafts were installed as prefabricated components
in the in-situ concrete construction. Subsequently, finishing elements produced in large quantities,
such as windows and doors, were installed at intervals of several storeys. Two very different designs
were developed for the long sides of the façades: a rather closed functional sides facing the streets
with exterior escape staircases, lifts and the studies or bedrooms of the flats extending over the entire
building depth. A continuously structured façade design with pronounced projections and recesses is
apparent. The continuous parapet bands on each floor create a horizontal rhythm on a human scale.
In contrast, the façades of the residential sides are very open with views to the west (Buildings B and pläne:
C) and south (Building A). Due to their orientation, the residential sides are difficult to see from the Lageplan der drei Gebäudescheiben • Site plan of the three building slabs
street and convey a distinctly private feeling – despite the extraordinary size of the Asemwald estate.
The uniform colour scheme of the orange textile shading elements is a striking feature, especially in
the sunny seasons. The solid front sides, however, are finished with exposed aggregate concrete slabs Block A Haus 6: 1. bis 20. Normalgeschoss • Block A House 6: 1 to 20 normal floor
st
th
– a typical building material of these years. Particularly noteworthy are the two south-facing front
sides (Buildings B and C), where the flats boast generous loggias. The entrance zone on the ground 2-Zimmer
floor is reserved for communal areas: laundry rooms, bicycle and waste rooms, as well as the circu- 66,59 qm
lation zones, where two houses share one entrance. The colour scheme of these interior walls is still
5-Zimmer
original from the 1970s with bold coloured stripes embedded in an olive tone. Patterns and stripe co- 130,26 qm
lours vary in each entrance area. The concrete surfaces of the lift shaft and escape stairs are painted
in bright orange and yellow respectively. Also noteworthy is a furnished, open lounge area in all en-
trances, where the round table is still used extensively as a meeting place and book exchange area. 4-Zimmer
Each house has its double lift, which functions as a “vertical” village street, where the common jour- 103,93 qm
ney invites a brief exchange about everyday matters and thus strengthens the community. On the in-
dividual floors, one is surprised to find only three flat entrances . Yet the common area on each floor
looks different, as wall and floor surfaces are designed jointly by the neighbours. Despite the size of
the entire complex, this division into smallest units planned by the architects means that life in the re-
sidential town is anything but anonymous – as one would probably assume from the outside. In con-
trast to other high-rise developments, there are no social hotspots in Asemwald – which is also related Block A Haus 1: Normalgeschoss • Block A House 1: Normal floor
to the architectural design. The two larger flats extend over the entire depth of the buildings, resulting
in views in two opposite directions. Only the small flat in the middle has only one view, as the lifts
and staircase prevent access to both sides of the façade.

Rational construction with above-average housing quality 1,5-Zimmer
47,78 qm
4-Zimmer
There are a total of 45 different flat types: from 41-square-metre one-room flats to 155-square-metre
112,96 qm
maisonettes at the very top. The most common flat type has 80 square metres. Including the two
basement levels, the buildings have a total of up to 26 floors. The centrally positioned installation 3-Zimmer
shafts, parallel to the façade, also serve as load-bearing supports for the floor slabs. Additional walls 80,43 qm
are therefore non-load-bearing, which allowed a flexible arrangement of partition walls in each flat
even before the first sales. In an article in DIE ZEIT (issue 41/1969), the author Manfred Sack com-
mends the almost praiseworthy endeavour to sell families flats that were not divided up rigidly and
once and for all, but literally just the four walls within which they could have the floor plans adap-
ted to suit them. The residential town of Asemwald was to have a high recreational value from the
very beginning. Thus, the owners’ association had several tennis courts with a clubhouse created
on the underground garages of Building A. The swimming pool with sauna on the 20th floor of Buil-
ding A, which can be used by both residents and guests, has been considered an outstanding attrac- Block A Haus 2: Dachgeschoss • Block A House 2: Attic
tion ever since it was opened. Right next to it is a restaurant, where guests can enjoy their meal with
an extraordinary view. A kindergarten is embedded in the heart of the complex as an independent
4-Zimmer
facility. After its completion, Asemwald was Stuttgart’s district with the lowest average age, as many 112,21 qm
young families moved into the new flats. Meanwhile, the residential town is the district with the
3-Zimmer
highest average age. Many residents have been living here for a very long time, some are even the 97,99 qm
first occupants who had moved in in the early 1970s! The length of residence is far above average in
an urban context. These two values indicate a very high level of housing satisfaction. The executed
settlement plan and its implementation with sophisticated floor plans and furnishings are a long-
term successful concept, which has promoted the development of a sustained community with a
very high level of identification and satisfaction. With its ratio of living space to land consumption,
the Asemwald set standards to this day. Thanks to the architects’ extraordinary perseverance and
integrative approach, it is a hidden example of pioneering housing development – in contrast to fai-
led experiments such as Le Corbusier’s projects in Marseille and Berlin. The successful cost reduction
through mass production of living space – without compromising on the quality of construction and
living – combined with land-saving construction make Asemwald a successful example of sustaina-
ble architecture even after 50 years!

AIT 7/8.2022 • 123