Project: Olympic Village (Winter Semester 2009/10)

Munich is bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics in partnership with Garmisch-Patenkirchen and the Berchtesgaden region. If successful, Munich would become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The plan calls for holding the alpine events at the foot of the mountains and organizing all other events in Munich, primarily within the area of the 1972 Summer Olympics venues.

Accordingly, there will be two Olympic Villages: a smaller one for approximately 1,000 participants in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and a larger one for approximately 3,500 participants in the Munich Olympic Park area, and thus in the immediate vicinity of the central venues of the Olympics. This “village within the city” is to be the focus of the design.

Marcel Giecholdt

The Building Blocks
To organize the study area and create a structure, the area is divided into rectangular building blocks (approx. 25 m x 60 m), which run parallel to Dachauer Straße and are offset forward or backward in increments of 10 m per row. This results in an irregular grid pattern extending toward the Olympic Park. The individual building lots are assigned different uses based on practical considerations. The development of the individual building lots consists of L-shaped buildings, or they feature various plazas, green spaces, or sports fields. The building typologies are discussed separately below. The building lots designated for residential use and developed with buildings feature only green spaces between the structures. These are allocated to the individual buildings as private open spaces. Paths and alleys run between the individual buildings and can be used to traverse the building lot. The building lots are not only differentiated by their various uses but also vary in elevation. The elevation of the building lots is determined by their purpose and function. A distinction is made between building lots that rise in height, descend in elevation, or remain at their original level. For example, there are paved areas at the Welcome Plaza on Dachauer Straße that are lower in elevation and feature steps, one of which houses a skate park, and another lower-lying area that is filled with water in winter to provide an ice rink for ice skating. Other grassy areas, which are primarily used for crossing, are at ground level. Elevated construction areas include, for example, those on which the residential buildings are located. These are raised approximately 50 cm above street level, which clearly distinguishes the residents’ privacy and private green spaces from other communal areas. As a result, the ground floor level of the buildings is also 50 cm higher. This prevents people walking by on the street from seeing into the interior of the building. Residents, however, can look out. Thus, despite the short distances to the street, private spaces are protected from unwanted views, while people inside can still easily interact with the outside world. The distances between the building plots range from 6 to 8 meters. These distances define the street network, which consists of main and secondary streets.

Building typologies
Residential buildings
The design features three residential typologies. These are different variations of the angular house. They are created by rotating an angle in different directions, resulting in various positive characteristics.
Type 1 “The Reclining Angle”: The advantage of the reclining angle is that it can turn away from one side, creating a private, sheltered area behind the house.
Type 2 “The Seated Angle”: One advantage of the seated angle is that it can create a private terrace on what will later be the second floor; another is its height, which provides a good view from above.
Type 3 “The Standing Angle”: The standing angle is characterized by the covered terrace on the ground floor, which is created by the rotation of the structure. This terrace can be used even in rain or bad weather for cozy get-togethers with friends and family. Another advantage is the great view from above. If desired, a private rooftop terrace can be located on the top floor.

Service Buildings
To create a sense of cohesion between the service buildings and the residential buildings, the building typologies of the service buildings mirror those of the residential buildings. Since the service buildings require a larger footprint, their side dimensions were doubled. To accommodate the space requirements of certain uses, individual building typologies can be combined into a single unit. The character of the small-scale development remains unaffected by this.

Facades / Windows
The window openings were designed from the inside out. This means that the location, size, and arrangement of the windows were determined based on the interior floor plans. Three window types were used: the vertical window, the horizontal window, and the panoramic window. The windows were arranged so that it is possible to look out from the inside, while the view from the outside in is limited—or, rather, does not compromise the residents’ privacy. For example, a horizontal window frames the kitchen or a bedroom, while the large panoramic windows open up the space and offer a view toward a more private, undisturbed direction. The variety of windows creates ever-changing spatial impressions and views as one moves through the building, resulting in a very exciting spatial experience. The long vertical window on the ground floor signals the building’s entrance.

Ann-Kristin Haeger

Urban Planning
The urban structure of the Olympic Village consists of two different building typologies: In the western section, L-shaped structures form the boundary along Dachauer Straße and Landshuter Allee, with two of these structures enclosing a courtyard. This architecturally striking boundary is further described as the “Boomerang.” The blocks formed in this way remain accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. The buildings are between 4 and 6 stories tall. The commercial uses housed here are less sensitive to noise than residential uses. The development serves as a barrier against street noise. In the eastern section, large polygonal structures define the village proper, grouped around open spaces that are also polygonal in shape. The enclosed polygonal blocks house the Olympic residential units. The structure is kept more open thanks to the open spaces. The development becomes more open toward the Olympic Park, forming a transition to the park. The existing buildings on Hedwig-Dransfels-Allee are integrated into the structure of the polygonal buildings. The former cafeteria is located within one of the polygonal open spaces. It will continue to be used as a cafeteria during the Games. After the Games, it can be repurposed for other uses. However, there is also the option to demolish the building and replace it with another pavilion, add another polygonal structure to the village, or preserve the area as open space. The “Boulevard” lies between the “Boomerang” and the actual residential area. All major utility facilities are connected to it. The “Boulevard” runs parallel to Dachauer Straße and Landshuter Allee. It divides the village into two sections: a narrow western section and a spacious eastern section. The “Boulevard” forms a series of plazas that connects the entrance plaza with the Willi-Gebhardt-Ufer on the Nymphenburg Canal. This is where the transition to the Olympic sports venues in the northern part of the planning area takes place. The entrance plaza serves as the main access point to the Olympic Village. It is located directly at the transition to the existing development and the existing tram station.

The polygonal structures
The polygonal structures always form enclosed blocks. The blocks are connected by driveways and walkways, each two stories high. The driveways for cars are two bays wide. The walkways for pedestrians are each one bay wide. The buildings have a 50 cm high base that elevates them above ground level. The buildings are accessible from the courtyard side without barriers. A ramp connects the courtyard to the entrance, which is 50 cm higher. The interior of the block is designed as a stone courtyard. Access to the apartments is provided from here. The depth of the buildings is 14 meters at every point. The floors have a clear height of 3 meters. The buildings are all four stories tall. The height of the buildings is 14.7 meters. The roof is designed as a flat roof.

Structure
The building and the floor plan are based on a structural grid that is 3.8 meters wide. The structure is built using a partition wall system. One bay width forms a single room. To allow for flexibility in the floor plan, the structural grid can be offset by one or half a bay.

Access
Access to the buildings is via the inner courtyard. From there, one enters the two-story entrance areas and the stairwells. The stairwells feature natural lighting from the courtyard side and through a skylight. Each stairwell is served by an elevator. Two apartments are accessed on each floor.


Each apartment features twoprivate outdoor spaces. The ground-floor apartments have small gardens in the courtyard and the intermediate space. From the gardens, one can reach the courtyard and the intermediate space via three steps. The apartments on the upper floors feature two loggias. The large loggia is connected to the living room, and the small loggia is connected to the dining area and the kitchen. At 18 square meters, the loggias are the size of a small room and, in addition to greenery and a sun lounger, can accommodate a dinner party of 6 people. The small loggia measures 8 square meters.

Living Space
The apartments are designed as open-plan layouts. They feature a large, open-concept living area that benefits from views of the inner courtyard and the connecting space. The kitchen is accessible from both the hallway and the dining area and includes a pantry. If desired, the kitchen can be separated from the living and dining areas.

Bedrooms
The bedrooms are all approximately 15 square meters in size. No distinction is made between master bedrooms and children’s rooms. As an exception, corner units may feature larger bedrooms. The apartments can be enlarged or reduced in size by adding partitioned rooms. The apartments typically range in size from 100 square meters to 180 square meters and offer a range from 2-bedroom to 5-bedroom layouts.

Bathroom
The apartments feature a full bathroom and a guest restroom. The bathroom is always located along an exterior wall of the building and thus has direct access to the outdoors via a window. At approximately 13 square meters, the bathrooms are very spacious and designed for comfort.

PlusRaum
The PlusRaum serves multiple purposes within the apartments. The apartments are equipped with a service rail located in the “dark zone” of the apartment. The service rail accommodates closets, storage rooms, the pantry, and the guest restroom. It divides the apartment asymmetrically into two areas along the hallway. The bedrooms are accessible directly from the hallway. The bathrooms and the kitchen are connected to the utility rail and can only be accessed via it.

Reiner / Heger / Blecher / Herz / Rohler