Four Flights Up, No Lift Yet: A Construction Viewing at Goethestraße 8
Houses That Do Not Shout “I Am New” In his address, Dr Axel M. Schmitz described what guides us when we build, particularly in a place such as this. The Zooviertel is one of the two residential quarters people know in Düsseldorf even if they know nothing else about the city; the other is Oberkassel. […]
15. September 2026 · Updated: 16. September 2026 · Reading Time:
Some eighty guests, four flights of stairs and a view across the rooftops of the Zooviertel: on September 8th, together with our clients, partners and everyone involved in the construction, we marked the completed shell of our house at Goethestraße 8 with a construction viewing. A look back at a remarkable evening, and at what Dr Axel M. Schmitz had to say about building in neighbourhoods that have grown over time..
Four Flights of Stairs, Concrete Instead of Parquet
There is no lift running at Goethestraße 8 just yet. Anyone wishing to reach the future penthouse on Tuesday evening took the stairs through the shell, past bare walls and open ceiling voids, and emerged beneath the roof timbers, where terraces and living rooms will one day be. The view stretches out across the rooftops of the Zooviertel, a view that captivates.
Around eighty guests came: clients, business partners, subcontractors, craftsmen and the team that has accompanied this house for months. A piano and saxophone duo played, there was wine and a selection of fine small dishes, and those who wished could join a guided tour of the building, where the floor plans can already be read from the structure.
Houses That Do Not Shout “I Am New”
In his address, Dr Axel M. Schmitz described what guides us when we build, particularly in a place such as this. The Zooviertel is one of the two residential quarters people know in Düsseldorf even if they know nothing else about the city; the other is Oberkassel. Both are defined by streets of houses dating from around 1900, and neither tolerates a new building that pushes itself to the fore.
There is method behind this. Before we begin planning, we survey the entire neighbourhood, photograph whatever is beautiful and inspires us, and hand all of it to the architect as a brief. The best of the surroundings, combined with the living standards of today. The result is houses that do not stand out from the frame, that do not shout at passers-by “I have not always been here, I am new, I am different”, but instead treat their surroundings with respect. On the day of completion, and a hundred years hence.
“You will not have the feeling that a new building from a few short years ago is standing there. Rather, you have houses that settle into their surroundings.”
Dr. Axel M. Schmitz
That does not mean living as one did a hundred years ago. Behind the façades is everything that progress and a changed way of life have brought with them in the meantime. This combination, said Dr Schmitz, is the real feat, one we attempt anew with every house.
What Is Taking Shape at Goethestraße 8
At Goethestraße 8, this approach is already evident from the street. The design is by Sebastian Treese Architekten. The façade, in ivory-coloured render, is articulated by sculptural bay windows, finely profiled cornices and an ornamental gable; the plinth is of Rhenish tuff with cornices of basalt lava, materials also worn by the neighbouring houses of the Gründerzeit.
Inside, nine apartments of roughly 114 to 204 square metres are taking shape, among them two maisonettes and a penthouse. Symmetrical sequences of rooms and varied floor plans, balconies, loggias and roof terraces, with private gardens for the maisonettes. Floors will be laid in herringbone parquet of oiled oak, bathrooms finished in natural stone, with fittings by Dornbracht and sanitaryware by Villeroy & Boch. A lift runs directly from the underground garage into the apartments. Heating is provided by an air-to-water heat pump, supported by a photovoltaic installation on the roof.
For us, Goethestraße is familiar territory. We have been building in the Zooviertel for generations, and anyone walking along the street passes several houses we have completed here. Number 8 continues that line.
The Uncertainties Are Behind Us
A completed shell is a moment for us to draw breath. The uncertainties of a building project lie, in our experience, in the ground, in the demolition, and in the careful handling of neighbouring houses that must be taken into account. What comes now, the fit-out, the surfaces, the details, is the work we know inside out. For the site management team around Lukas Baldus, however, this marks the start of the most intensive phase, with more trades on site at once than ever before.
The evening’s thanks therefore went to everyone who has brought the house this far. And above all to our clients. The promise Dr Schmitz made that evening stands: in the end, everyone receives precisely what we have pledged, a home that holds its value for the long term and carries no expiry date.
A Number of Apartments Remain Available
Anyone wishing to get to know Goethestraße 8 need not wait for the next construction viewing. A number of apartments remain available, and our team in Düsseldorf will gladly show you the progress on site. Full details can be found on the Goethestraße 8 project page; to arrange a consultation, please use our contact form.
Fotos: RALF SCHMITZ
