BOMA+
Architecture competition
Project: BOMA+ Innenstadttransformation Braunschweig
Office: kadawittfeldarchitektur
Year / 2026
Award: 1st Prize
Role: Competition team
BOMA+ is a cooperative urban planning, landscape and architectural competition for the transformation of a former department store and its surrounding urban context in central Braunschweig. The project proposes a sustainable revitalization of the former Horten department store and the reorganization of the area around Schlossplatz.
The design restores the historic connection between Braunschweig’s Old Town and the Magniviertel, which was interrupted by the construction of the department store in the 1970s. Through a selective partial demolition, the existing building is divided into two independent structures while retaining 58% of its existing structural system. The retained structure is complemented by new construction and transformed into a flexible ensemble with hybrid uses.
The project combines retail, gastronomy and public uses at ground level with flexible spaces for offices, hotel and housing on the upper floors. A new urban axis and the ‘Grüne Karrenführerhof’ create additional public space and strengthen the connection between the surrounding neighborhoods.
The transformation extends beyond the building into the public realm. The Bohlweg is redesigned as a climate-resilient boulevard with expanded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, trees, retention areas and green spaces following the principles of the sponge city. Reuse and recycling strategies are integrated into the transformation of the existing building, while the preservation of the existing structure retains embodied carbon and reduces resource consumption.
The project develops a model for the sustainable transformation of an inner-city commercial property through the combination of urban repair, adaptive reuse, hybrid use and climate-resilient public space.
Images: © kadawittfeldarchitektur · Lageplan: © kadawittfeldarchitektur | Rabe Landschaftsarchitektur · Renderings: © loomilux
