The Meeräckerblock residential project is situated prominently on Meeräckerplatz in the centre of the Lindenhof district of Mannheim, very close to the Schwarzwaldblock (2006-2017). Like the latter, the new development is being built in stages for the housing cooperative Spar und Bau. The ten existing buildings are not suitable for refurbishment, because of serious defects, so they will be replaced by seven new buildings over the course of three project phases.

In terms of design, the new Meeräckerblock takes its cue from the contours of its predecessor. As such the urban spaces on the four sides of the block are preserved. The cubic volume, now spread over six full storeys instead of five, is in keeping with the scale of the Schwarzwaldblock. Only the end section on Meerwiesenstrasse responds to the adjacent square with a recessed top storey.

In the tradition of so-called “reform blocks”, typical of residential building design in the 1920s, the carefully landscaped courtyard (here with a mix of trees in the middle) serves as a collective space for all the residents. The parking spaces which were previously at ground level are replaced by an underground car park. The façade is articulated horizontally by means of a high-quality clinker-brick base storey, continuous bands of parapets and a roof storey that is set back. Three different types of apartments are envisaged, arranged in the standard floor layout in groups of four around a central hallway. Once completed the new Meeräckerblock will provide 134 residential units (compared to 118 in the old block).