A national role model: Hansator is now open
One of Münster's most important urban development projects has been completed: At the end of August, Hansator was handed over to the public with a large neighborhood festival after the last component of the project, Germany's second-largest bicycle parking garage, opened its doors.
According to NRW Construction Minister Ina Scharrenbach, the building complex, which gives the main station a new, second facade, also has an impact on the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Hansator shines far beyond Münster, "because one front and one back were turned into two fronts, because a brownfield site was made usable and living space and quality of life were created," says Ina Scharrenbach.
"Our goal was to blend into this existing residential neighborhood," explains Christian Hehemann, project manager and head of the Landmarken branch in Münster, describing the two functions of the central urban development project. "We have created an attractive entrance to the train station, and Hansator, with its various uses, can also form a neighborhood center."
With space for residential, hotel, restaurant, and retail use on 28,400 square meters of gross floor area, as well as a parking garage and bicycle parking facility, Hansator forms an urban neighborhood. It was already honored with the polis Award for urban space recycling in 2018. "A train station that is part of its neighborhood and where the lights never go out – a wonderful landmark!" says Landmarken CEO Jens Kreiterling. In this sense, Hansator also serves as a model for further station redesigns nationwide.
Our sister company POHA House has opened communal areas and 313 apartments in the north and central towers of the complex – 98 percent of which are already rented out. In the south tower of the complex, the young design hotel chain prizeotel welcomes guests in 195 rooms designed by New York star designer Karim Rashid. Also open on the ground floor are the Müller drugstore, REWE supermarket, Ma´loa restaurant, and Mizu Spa nail salon. Around 310 square meters of space for restaurants and 350 square meters for retail are still available.
Incidentally, the name Hansator was not chosen at random: with its central passageway under the tracks, the ensemble bridges the gap between the city center and the Hansaviertel district. As an attractive urban connecting element with outstanding architecture, it contributes to holistic urban renewal.
The development was preceded by an investor selection process announced by the city of Münster and Deutsche Bahn, from which Landmarken AG emerged as the unanimous winner with its design by kadawittfeldarchitektur. It's great when expectations can even be exceeded in the end!
