2015 Wanja SzelinskyWanja Szelinsky - Air raid shelter Rütscherstraße
This design proposal approaches the current issue of the air raid shelter at the Rütscher- and Försterstraße in Aachen by extending it’s structural substance.

The bunker is located in a residential area in the north of Aachen which is next to the public park Lousberg. The shelter is surrounded by two streets (Rütscherstraße and Försterstraße) with a level difference of up to eight meters. In line with the investor’s decision to demolish the bunker the deconstruction was started but stopped again by dedicated residents trying preserve the historic value of the bunker.

This design presents an alternative to the demolition of the shelter and creates a new complex based upon the remaining structure.

Despite the gaps between the bunker and the surrounding residential buildings, the access to the Lousberg is still limited. So granting the residents access to the public park and the shelter complex is one of the main themes of this design.

Additionally the bunker’s surrounding gaps are closed to create a more homogenous streetscape. The main use of this new complex design is to combine living area with a gallery and a parking garage in the remaining floor of the bunker. The shelter’s inside contains a new sequence of courtyards, which are linked by an alley, leading through the bunker complex to the public park.

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