The Thyssen-Krupp site shaped the heterogeneous urban structure of Diebsteich for around 100 years. The industrial site will now be transformed, with the construction of a regional soccer stadium and a music Hall with up to 5,000 seats each, complemented by a wide range of office, gastronomy, retail, cultural and leisure facilities. The proposed building design pays respect to the unique history – the oldest buildings and halls date back to 1923 – the character of the old industrial use is to remain perceptible, a simple materiality defines the architecture. In our proposal, the existing factory hall will not be occupied by the Music Hall, nor will it be provided with a shell development. Instead, the Music Hall is combined with the stadium to form a hybrid building that combines the synergies of both uses, but still recognizably locates both uses on the site.

An urban public open space will be created on the site, which invites visitors to stay and is an attractive forecourt area for the stadium and the Music Hall. The establishment of new uses and the emerging central location through the long-distance train station lead to the expectation of a high number of visitors; 5,000 visitors for the Music Hall and 5,000 visitors for the soccer games alone will use the public space. The open spaces that remain as «residual areas» next to the three building sites envisaged in the feasibility study would not form a coherent area that would allow a quality open space to emerge. We want to maximize the public space on the site while unsealing the soil as much as possible.