The town of Willich has a charming historic centre, with a public activity zone in the area of the church and market. To the east of this, an extension and strengthening of the urban core will take place on the former brewery site. Between the historic centre and the newly planned area runs the Grabenstraße. This street is north south oriented and conceptually functions as a central mirror axis of the different characteristics: The historical area is diverse and consists of small-scale shapes; the modern area has a large-scale, industrial-historical character. The urban design re-articulates the latter and creates a transition between the industrial and historic areas. In this context, the existing building of the brewery cube is uncovered as a pole of modernity, which forms a counterpoint to the historic pole of the church. The cube is transformed into a multipurpose hall with a large, structurally enclosed public space. In addition, the design provides a green pedestrian corridor. This connects the church and the brewery building directly and further links the related central open spaces. Creating a transition between the two poles is a key challenge of the design. For this purpose, a mediating architectural style in harmony with historic and modern buildings is planned. The design incorporates a modular typology with a basic element of 5.5 x 5.5 x 2.75 m. Positioned on the roof the modules can be shaped as flat roofs or pitched roof. The accumulation of flat or pitched forms generates the gradual adaptation towards the characteristic poles of the design.
