Documenta urbana, Experimental housing complex in Süsterfeld-Helleböhn, Germany
Documenta Urbana is a residential ensemble in the southwest of Kassel, made up of apartment blocks and single-family homes designed by different architects. The buildings are linked by footpaths and sit directly next to the Dönche nature reserve.
The project was developed between 1980 and 1982 as part of the documenta art exhibition, which served as a platform to test new ways of building housing in Kassel. Shortly after, a long curved building known as the 'Snake' was added to complete the ensemble.
The development takes its name from the documenta art exhibition, which gave the project an unusual origin for a housing complex. Walking through the site today, you can notice how each building looks different from its neighbor, reflecting an intention to avoid visual repetition.
The site is open to the public and easy to walk through, as the footpaths connect the whole ensemble from one end to the other. A visit works well combined with a walk in the adjacent Dönche nature reserve, which starts right at the edge of the complex.
Over twenty different architecture firms were invited to contribute a building each to the project, which explains why no two structures look alike. The result feels more like a collection of individual designs placed side by side than a single planned neighborhood.
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