ESOC Callisto, 2009
International Competition, 2nd Place
The ESOC (European Space Operation Centre) site is located on the edge of a forest, directly adjacent to the city centre of Darmstadt. It forms the transition from a high-density area to a protected forest.
AUKETT + HEESE Frankfurt was a local partner in an international team under the leadership of Mecanoo – Delft and was involved from the first conception to the coordination of the very high and far-reaching competition requirements for all design, functional, technical, ecological and economic parameters, the integration of the corresponding partial results of the technical partners into the competition entry and the local presentation.
The outstanding team entry won a 2nd prize.
Category
Location
Darmstadt
Typology
Status
Concept
Service phases
Competition
Jupiter‘s moon Callisto, is the inspiration for the new campus morphology. Counteracting the square and rectangular shapes currently present, Callisto creates a superimposed moonscape onto the campus, creating a clear identity for the ESOC.
The team’s proposal for the Callisto masterplan is also inspired by the relationship between the campus and the forest, and so brings the forest into the site, with the site opening up to the forest. The masterplan evolution strategy defines the curvilinear open spaces rather than the shape of the building mass. These empty spaces form the central areas, like city squares, around which future buildings will be organized.
AUKETT + HEESE Frankfurt participated in this competition as a local partner.
Mecanoo – Design Team Leader
West 8 – Landscape
Buro Happold – Structural, Building Physics, Sustainability
Chandler KBS – Cost Management
Location
Darmstadt
Typology
Status
Concept
Service phases
Competition