Interview with former head of town planning How Bonn’s skyline has changed over time

Bonn · As head of town planning, Sigurd Trommer supervised Bonn’s urban development for over 16 years. He was heavily involved in Bonn’s structural change after the Bonn-Berlin decision. Lisa Inhoffen spoke with Sigurd Trommer. Here’s an extract of the interview.

As head of town planning, you closely followed the development of the federal quarter. What do you see today?

Sigurd Trommer: This development measure began in 1974 and is one of the largest in Germany. It combines two contradictions in the goal of expanding the federal capital up to 1991 and afterwards the goal of being the central area of structural change. Both goals were surprisingly successful, as can be seen from the many notable addresses.

What has changed compared to the former government quarter?

Trommer: The most important thing for me is the position and perception of this large part of the city. The magnificent Rheinaue Park was developed on the outskirts of Bonn, Bad Godesberg and Beuel; it linked the outskirts of these formerly independent towns. For me, coming from the distant and newly founded city of Wolfsburg, the Rheinaue Park is more the Central Park of Bonn, a wonderful green centre, which should be framed by clearly discernable, prominent buildings. T-Mobile, Cäsar, Volksbank and the Post Tower are already part of this framework. In historical terms, the federal quarter is, for me, a new town in Bonn.

Now a framework development plan for the federal quarter is to be put on the table. Is this sensible?

Trommer: Yes. The initial building in the federal quarter has been largely completed and the filling of empty spaces and replacement work has begun. Transport structures are being added, such as the new UN Campus stop and need to be further optimised. The cable car to the Venusberg is a good suggestion. If one does not want to sacrifice high quality structures with a high potential for identification prematurely, but rather develop this new town in Bonn in meaningful way, then the framework plan is the right course.

Other projects, such as the new building for Deutsche Post next to the Post Tower that Marc Asbeck wants to raise to 17 storeys, will have to wait until this development plan is on the table. Isn’t this counter-productive?

Trommer: In addition to those previously mentioned particularly high quality structures which give the federal quarter its identity, there is the Museums Mile, parts of the B9, the “Path of Democracy” from the Koenig Museum past the UN to the Post Tower and Kurt-Schumacher-Straße with the former state representations. The Johanniter quarter with the hospital and the former Dutch and Canadian embassies also have a face. If further consolidation is to be achieved in the vicinity of the Post Tower, something that is understandable from the company’s perspective, then the current situation must be thoroughly analysed, with the goal of maintaining build quality.

Where can additional high-rise buildings reasonably be located?

Trommer: A very good area for further high-rise buildings is the area south of Telekom/B9/A562, as well as the location of the state authority building.

The investor at the Bundeskanzerplatz may build up to 100 metres high. Is this reasonable?

Trommer: One should not be petty about the height of the planned high-rise building on the former site of the Bonn-Center: if the boundary conditions do not reveal anything to the contrary, one could also build higher. The Post Tower could also have been taller…

(Original text: Lisa Inhoffen. Translation: kc)

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