A majority of Frankfurt residents have expressed their preference for housing the planned House of Democracy in the historic Treasury Building adjacent to St. Paul's Church, according to results from a summer public participation process. Out of 2,068 citizens who evaluated ten different design proposals on questionnaires, most favored the conversion of the existing Kämmerei building over constructing a new building on Paulsplatz. However, Philipp Sturm, head of the St. Paul's Church/House of Democracy task force, noted that the margins were not as wide as social media discussions had suggested.
The Urban Planning Advisory Board sees significant development potential in the so-called City Hall North Building and has issued a statement advocating for an ambitious solution. The expert panel, which advises the city magistrate, recommends that the building should not only house the House of Democracy but also encompass education and cultural themes, potentially including a library. The advisory board suggests eliminating administrative use by the city government entirely. Regarding historic preservation, the board advocates for a progressive yet respectful approach to the building, which was constructed in 1908.
Architectural plans include creating a large interior space by removing the central wing, which the board considers promising. The foyer could become a consumption-free space offering accessible, theme-based programs. The Urban Planning Advisory Board envisions the roof as a symbolic element with high-quality amenities for visitors. Among other features, the panel suggests intensive green roofing that could serve as a model for other rooftops in Frankfurt's city center.
These recommendations incorporate ideas from several of the ten proposals selected by a jury from 126 submissions. The advisory board has moved away from pursuing the option of constructing a larger building on Paulsplatz. According to their statement, Paulsplatz has traditionally been a place of democracy and should continue to be perceived as such in the future. They emphasize that the impact of St. Paul's Church must not be compromised by oversized new construction volumes.
Nevertheless, the architects and urban planners recognize an unsatisfactory urban planning situation around St. Paul's Church. Therefore, the upcoming implementation competition must also develop solutions for improving the open spaces. The separating effect of Berliner Straße and Bethmannstraße must be reduced, according to the board. The grid-pattern plane tree grove on Paulsplatz should be critically examined, with the advisory board finding it more promising to plan with diverse plants and less soil sealing.
The Urban Planning Advisory Board hopes the implementation competition will produce a project with inspiring architecture that emotionally touches as many people as possible and generates enthusiasm for democracy. The timing for announcing the competition remains open. First, the public participation process will be evaluated, with results scheduled for publication early next year. Based on these findings and considering additional statements, the task force will develop a resolution proposal for the city parliament that commits to one location option.
The Association of German Architects, however, wants to keep the location question open and allow designs for developing Paulsplatz in the implementation competition as well. Some firms have good ideas for this approach, according to the association, but they did not submit them to the ideas competition because there were no implementation prospects in that preliminary process. For architectural firms, the effort for a competition is only worthwhile if there is a chance to subsequently receive a contract.
