COLOUR CONCEPT for the "CITY GATE BREMEN"

Location Bahnhofsplatz, D-28195 Bremen
Building owner Bahnhofsvorplatz Bremen GmbH
Construction period 2016-2019
Construction volume GFA 47,193 m²
Architect Max Dudler
Colour design Pagels-Farbkonzepte, Nathalie Pagels

The “City Gate Bremen” is a building complex directly opposite to the historic train station. It includes two hotels, shops, restaurants, offices, medical practices and an underground car parking.

Source: googlemaps.de

The two seven-storey commercial buildings on the Bahnhofsplatz in Bremen are positioned as the new gateway to the city. They are criss-crossed by a diagonal alley that directs those arriving into the center. The two buildings are related, but designed differently in a subtle manner. The buildings are undergrounded by a car parking area. In terms of urban planning, the ensemble of buildings connects the train station with the city center. The merging of the Hanseatic building tradition with modern dynamic accents makes it part of Bremen's history.

The houses of the City Gate Bremen Source: Caspar Sessler, Bremen

In March 2017, the first meeting between the investor, project management, executive architect and qualified colour consultant ICA Nathalie Pagels took place.
The mission was: Colour design of the public areas of the City Gate Bremen.

How did the colours find their way into City Gate Bremen?

As always in my projects, it's about really perceiving and understanding my counterpart: the client, the investor and the architect. But above all it is about the users, the citizens and the guests of Bremen.

Nathalie Pagels, qualified colour consultant ICA

When doing the research for this project, the colour expert repeatedly focused on the following questions: “What makes this city so special? What are the people proud of and what are their traditions? What visions do they have? Careful research, empathy and special expertise ultimately led to a holistic colour concept that is not interchangeable; it creates closeness and orientation and helps to reduce anonymity."

Pagels worked on the “City Gate Bremen” project with the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus. From the definition of the wall colour to the customer sign, a uniform colour language can be spoken in this way.

On the basis of her research, the colour expert then developed a concept based on four subject areas that exemplify the city's impressive history, but at the same time create a harmonious connection to the present and the future.

Bremen, city of research and technology.

Bremen, city of shipping.

Bremen, city of coffee.

Bremen, city of trade.

Each subject area was presented in a foyer and a staircase of the City Gate Bremen. For this purpose, the colour specialist developed an identity-creating icon for each topic, as well as a matching colour road, each with four colours from the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus. This made it easier to read the different foyers.

Due to the strictly user-oriented and humanistic design, the orientation in the object could be achieved. The colour concept provides the interior of the building with an unmistakable expression, helps its users to identify more clearly and increases the comfort factor and the pleasure of its visitors.

It's nice to see how your design gives the building a happy soul.

Ulf Wachholtz, Client/Investor

Haus 1-Kern 1, Forschung und Technik, Wandbild und Leitsymbol zugleich, die Icons von Pagels-Farbkonzepte.

Bildstrecke

Image selection of both houses of the CGB

The colour selection was based on the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus. When defining the individual colour streets, the colour designer followed the natural associations of the respective subject areas.

The structure and systematics of the colour space on which Pagels-Farbkonzepte is based upon remains unaffected. All colour tones are "desaturated", this means reserved and timeless despite their colourfulness. Due to the stringent system, the colours can be combined and varied on different levels, resulting in a colour space related to the “City Gate Bremen”.

About Pagels-Farbkonzepte

Pagels-Farbkonzepte stands for a humanistic, i.e. primarily a colour design created for human beings. Nathalie Pagels is the author of the “Leitfächer der Farbgestaltung” which is used at universities, colleges, vocational schools and in the craft sector. Nathalie Pagels was the first colour user to postulate an "ethics of colour design" and apply this very concretely in her work.
www.pagels-farbkonzepte.de

About RAL COLOURS

RAL is the language used for colours. With the RAL CLASSIC and RAL EFFECT colour collections as well as the RAL DESIGN SYSTEM plus, RAL offers professional colour users a diverse selection of precise colour templates. The range of RAL colours comprises a total of 2,530 colors. With colour fans, plastic standards and software products as well as colour design and trend books, RAL products offer the ideal product for every design purpose.
www.ral-farben.de