MiKa is the name of one of the largest urban development projects in Dresden. Here, in the district of Mickten, north of the River Elbe, up to 900 apartments are being constructed over a period of six years. The urban design concept is based on the guiding principles of the “European city” – clear lines, streets and squares bounded by buildings and a diversity of uses and different architectural idioms. Stefan Forster Architekten, one of three architectural practices engaged on the western part of the site, is responsible for a residential building with 68 apartments. This new building marks the entrance to the new district and defines the corners of the block edge. Green courtyards within the development provide shared space for the residents. The design envisages an unpretentious yet distinctive volume which, with its base storey and window jambs of pale Elbe sandstone, echoes the local building tradition of Dresden.