Garden City Allendorf | Bad Salzungen
1. Prize | Garden City Allendorf
Bad Salzungen
In collaboration with Benkert Schäfer Architekten
For the open space, an attractive sequence from public to private green is proposed – from the “green centre” on the slope, to the more intimate residential courtyards with meeting places and tenants’ gardens, to the private gardens directly at the house – generous balcony zones and façade greening also enable greenery on the upper floors with their own cultivation possibilities. The largely car-free neighbourhood is accessed from the outside, and sufficient parking spaces are provided for stationary traffic on the peripheries. For emergency vehicles and individual deliveries, parking areas and visitor and handicapped parking spaces are available at a maximum distance of 50 m from each building, quiet play streets allow direct access to each flat.
The urban structure of the new Garden City Allendorf will be embedded in a green area with lush planting of various tree species as well as shrub, perennial and grass plantings, with the aim of achieving a high degree of biodiversity and creating a diverse habitat for humans and animals. A low degree of sealing is aimed at in order to form a high urban climatic comfort. The aim is to develop the garden city into an attractive landscape space with an interflowing green structure that has a park-like character and thus creates a high degree of open space quality. The open space structure of the neighbourhood features private, semi-public and public open spaces that offer the residents places of retreat and places to come together, thus generating a diverse and attractive range of places to stay. The urban structure creates several semi-public inner courtyards, which are barrier-free places with multifunctional use and mediate between the residents spatially.
The neighbourhood is interconnected with the surrounding area and creates links to the city centre and the historic graduation house, thus representing an important building block in the overarching urban structure. The “green axis” in the centre of the garden city, which merges with the inner courtyards to form a large garden landscape and gives the site a uniform, distinctive and typical character, represents a special open space potential. Like the other areas of the garden city, it is also designed to be barrier-free and connects all areas of the neighbourhood from north to south and east to west in a terrace-like manner, with enclosed play and recreation areas. The neighbourhood square forms the head of the “green centre” in the centre of the neighbourhood and creates a clearly defined meeting place.
In the residential courtyard 1a, two summerhouses are provided for residents to store bicycles and rubbish containers. In addition, there is a small garden shed in the centre of the courtyard to store gardening equipment and furniture. The courtyards have semi-public open spaces such as a courtyard square, neighbourhood garden and vegetable gardens, thus generating leisure and recreational functions for the residents.
The aim is to drain the rainwater within the neighbourhood and thus create synergies that generate positive climatic and design aspects. Rainwater is channelled into the adjacent open spaces and collected in swales and retention areas. Sealed areas are also drained into the adjacent green spaces and, if necessary, collected in open swales. Part of the rainwater is collected in underfloor trenches and fed to the trees. The aim is to infiltrate, store and evaporate the rainwater within the neighbourhood and thus improve the microclimate.
The open space concept aims to create spatially diverse and differentiated open space typologies that structure the neighbourhood and, in combination with the urban design, lend it identity. Special attention is paid to climatic aspects, which is expressed by the low degree of sealing and the associated high degree of infiltration and high biodiversity.
New Campus Mathematics and Computer Science University of Münster | Münster
3. Prize | New Campus Mathematics and Computer Science University of Münster
Münster
In collaboration with Atelier30
There is street-side planting of field maple and green islands with shade plantings of climate-resistant bluebell trees and Japanese corded trees in groups with integrated benches. The plateau of the institute garden on the 3rd floor forms an accessible green open space with a high quality of stay. A pedestrian passage in connection with a greening of small trees, shrubs, hedges and grasses creates an additional spatial network of the seminar areas in this area, which are assigned to the individual institutes. Various seating options with awnings and planters invite people to linger and engage in scientific discussions. The sustainable concept includes a CO2 neutral building with climate relevant aspects. For the landscape architecture this means green facades and roofs, rainwater harvesting for irrigation of the planting areas, support of biodiversity and microclimate.
Stephansstift Green District , Building Site 5 - nursing home, senior housing | Hannover
Recognition | Green Quarter Stephansstift, Building Site 5 – nursing home, senior housing
Hannover
In cooperation with RKW Architektur +
In the south of the newly created ‘Green District’, a new nursing home building is being planned with associated open space which, due to its location, will function as an entrance to the new neighbourhood. In order to do justice to this task, the scheme offers a generous, open square composed of water-bound road surface, which picks up on the tree motif from the existing buildings to the south. This large square acts as a distinctive marker to signify the main entrance to the southern building block. In addition, the entire square is designed as an infiltration-ready porous surface.
The newly planned inner courtyard of the new building forms the heart of the open space. The generously sized circular lawn is bordered by seating elements, so activities that normally take place in the building can also take place in the open air. This space is surrounded by a dense grove of trees (Alnus incana), which gradually thins out as it progresses from the lawn into the rest of the courtyard, and creates shady places in which to relax. The inner courtyard lawn is designed topographically as a retention area, connected to a French drain cistern system, which not only provides water for the trees, but also stores rainwater.
The areas surrounding the buildings are designed as retention areas. These are supplemented by planting site-appropriate shrubs and grasses that promote biodiversity and create a varied appearance.
The entire drainage system functions as an open swale drain combined with retention areas where rainwater is first collected and can then slowly seep away. A large portion of the accumulated rainwater can thus either seep away or evaporate on site.
Plankerheide | Krefeld
3. Prize | Plankerheide
Krefeld
In collaboration with schneider + schumacher
Urban islands in the green
The outstanding quality of the new neighbourhoods is their location between the park-like cemetery and the nature reserve of the Bruch. The concept organises the neighbourhoods as islands in the green space and creates connections via green corridors between the cemetery and the fields. Manageable settlement contexts are created, each with its own centre and different focal points. These focal points correspond to the functional requirements, which in turn refer to the location to Fischeln’s town centre as well as to the traffic connections.
It seems sensible, for example, to locate the public functions of the House of Education with primary school, parent centre and day care centre, as well as the sports halls in the north, where the tram and the K-Bahn provide convenient transport links. Here, a multi-storey car park and a few stopping places have also been chosen in an accessible location that does not require crossing the residential quarters to pick up children from school or daycare. The area on Kölner Straße is already separated from the other areas of the development by the southern cemetery area. It therefore makes sense to establish a separate urban village context here. In addition to the residential buildings with terraced houses, semi-detached houses and apartment buildings, an above-ground neighbourhood car park adapted to the number of parking spaces required is located here, as in the other two islands. The middle island, which adjoins the cemetery area to the east, has a similar but somewhat more organic structure.
The islands themselves have blocks of different sizes that are semi-open around a courtyard. This structure refers to the existing square courtyards in the neighbouring landscape and interprets them further. The development of the courtyard connections features all different types of housing to allow for a good social mix and interaction between the generations.
Traffic/mobility concept
The concept is based on the idea of creating a low-traffic neighbourhood that should not be crossed by MIV. The existing connection at the edge of the area between Eichhornstraße and Kölner Straße is to continue to be reserved for cyclists and pedestrians only. A new, spacious traffic area connects the centres of the islands and is designed as a shared space. Only a few private vehicles will be on the road there; in the future, the self-driving shuttle will operate here. The tree-lined street space offers space for all road users and, thanks to its furniture, surfacing and high-quality fittings, is a space for neighbourhood residents to meet. The neighbourhood garages contain parking spaces on the upper floors, while the ground floor is to provide additional uses such as a bicycle shop with a workshop, a kiosk, if possible, a café, and of course a bicycle garage as well as opportunities to rent bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, scooters, trolleys for transporting shopping home, etc. The neighbourhood garages are also to be equipped with a bicycle park. The network of paths for pedestrians and cyclists connects as well as possible with the paths in the surrounding area and the cemetery and develops them further into the neighbourhoods.
Open space: design elements
The urban design figure divides the open space very naturally into attractive public square and play street areas without traffic impact, semi-public residential courtyards and the private green spaces allocated to the ground floor flats. All square and street spaces follow the principle of the sponge city with the highest possible proportion of infiltration-capable pavements, sunken tree beds for rainwater retention and a balanced mix of green and paved areas to create an optimal amenity and play area. Where appropriate, rainwater is channelled into open gutters and ditches and, where possible, infiltrated into the area. All footpaths in and through the neighbourhood are naturally linked to the network of paths in the cemetery and the surrounding area. In addition to the obligatory climate resilience of the large trees, the plant selection is oriented towards a flower-rich, near-natural appearance with high drought tolerance, which not only strengthens biodiversity but also offers varied flowering aspects throughout the year. The furniture in timeless design under the motto Less-is-More aims at the highest possible utility value for all age groups and is built in a robust, vandalism-proof design. If there is sufficient interest, the designation of areas for social farming in the inner courtyards of the blocks is conceivable. These are designed as meeting places for the closer neighbourhood with play facilities for the younger children, communicative bench and table groups and sufficient lawn areas for playing and storage.
Economy and sustainability
A sustainable neighbourhood is defined above all by changeable, flexible but durable structures of development and building. Materials and furnishings are of high quality, and are planned to be recyclable throughout. Sealing is kept to a minimum, which can be achieved by reducing the number of drivable areas. The near-natural design of the meadow areas favours biodiversity and the water balance; the continuation of the characteristic tree population from the cemetery into the green corridors also ensures a pleasant, cool microclimate. Square areas are sparsely paved, action areas can also be designed with water-bound surfaces and are shaded by typical square trees and enhanced with water features or fountains. The courtyard areas are suitable locations for shady tree plantings because they are not underpinned by underground garages, so that overall a green, tree-covered neighbourhood is created that has a favourable climate for people and the environment.
Popular neighbourhoods are sustainable neighbourhoods: Following on from the spacious, tree-lined residential areas of the north of Krefeld, a neighbourhood with a generous, relaxed atmosphere is to be created here, with which the residents like to identify and which enables a modern, casual and diverse existence in harmony with the surroundings.
Replacement building Hainberg-Gymnasium | Göttingen
1st prize | Replacement building Hainberg-Gymnasium
Göttingen | In cooperation with Pape+Pape Architects
The new replacement building for the Hainberg-Gymnasium and the demolition of the existing school wing from the 1970s open up the opportunity to rethink and restructure the school campus at this location. The aim here is to emphasise the qualities of the school site and to formulate essential functions both in the functional allocation of the buildings to each other and the open space connections in the overall context. With its strong address towards Friedländer Weg, the existing building will continue to be the main focal point of the Hainberg-Gymnasium.
Compact building figure – small footprint – interplay with open space and existing building
The new building will be developed as a compact 3-storey structure consisting of two cluster building blocks offset from each other to save space. The aim is to integrate the new structure into the existing context in the best possible way, despite the difficult site layout, so that it enters into a dialogue with the existing buildings as well as into a symbiotic interplay with the characteristic trees. In order to optimise the relationship to the surrounding open space, which is of fundamental importance for the learning atmosphere, it is necessary to keep the footprint of the new building as small as possible.
Setting – widening, addressing – caesura as a spatial structure
The new building is positioned and modelled on the site in such a way that a new, urban address is created towards the north-western Lohbergstraße.
The offset creates a spatially defined forecourt that forms an inviting entrance to the school grounds at this point and, in interaction with the existing buildings, formulates an open, tangible centre within the school campus. The natural derivation of the entrance from the building offset creates a logical and easy-to-find location for the building entrance.
External access
The new building is accessed via the central forecourt, which takes in the access routes via Friedländer Weg (main entrance) and both sides of Lohbergstraße and leads to the central entrance of the new building.
Differentiated spatial sequences
The spatially defined situation opposite the gymnasium creates a deliberate constriction between the new forecourt and the spatial widening in front of the sports fields and the inner schoolyard. The sequence of differently wide and narrow spatial sequences creates exciting, differentiated and varied experience and recreational spaces across the entire campus site.
Integration into the existing trees – Zoning of the site – Interaction between building and outdoor space
The school site is essentially characterised by its park-like setting with a significant stock of trees. The positioning of the structure creates clear access situations and zoned outdoor spaces that correspond with the use of the building. The positioning of the building structure means that the valuable tree population on the building site can be largely preserved and will continue to characterise the characterful atmosphere of the campus grounds and schoolyards in the future. With its generosity, zoning and the various activities on offer, the outdoor space encourages children to learn and go out, offers exercise and open space, the experience of nature, coolness, play of light and shade.
Experiencing nature – value-added spaces in corners of the site – green learning gardens and ‘green classrooms’
The ‘residual spaces’ remaining in the sloping corners of the site are transformed into valuable learning gardens that are directly linked to the learning clusters or multifunctional zones of the year groups and can be reached quickly from each level via external staircases. The experience of nature is completed by the ‘green classrooms’ arranged in clusters on the transverse sides of the building, which extend into the open space as covered terraces and enable learning at the height of the treetops.
Ground floor – central marketplace, hub and distributor
The spacious foyer forms the central arrival, meeting, learning and break area of the new school building. A cantilevered canopy extends into the outdoor area.
Inside, the spacious foyer connects to the central open atrium with access staircase and the wide open staircase to the canteen (in the basement) and creates exciting visual connections to all floor levels and the neighbouring outdoor areas. The teachers’ station and the counselling office are integrated centrally (and with a view) into the foyer area.
Basement – canteen as a central event location with open-air theatre
Due to the cramped site situation and the added value of the ground-floor outdoor areas, the dining room is located in the basement and designed as a multifunctional dining and event area that can be seamlessly extended into the outdoor space. A wide wooden staircase, which can be used flexibly as a grandstand, study or dining area, leads seamlessly into the foyer and the neighbouring open space on the ground floor.
The cafeteria courtyard is modelled down to the height of the cafeteria with organically shaped, planted grass seating steps – analogous to the course of the open staircase – to create a theatre-like outdoor space with interspersed seating steps. This creates a space that can be used as a dining, leisure and relaxation area as well as an open-air arena (e.g. for concerts and events) and represents a unique added value for the school grounds. The courtyard can be covered with a textile sail to protect it from rain and sun.
The canteen can (but does not have to) be supplied via its own delivery from Kleperweg. In principle, it is also possible to dispense with the external delivery and deliver via the main entrance.
First floor – attractive break and learning zone with an outdoor connection
The central circulation area on the upper floor is also developed as a multifunctional area with an outdoor connection, which extends through the building in a transverse direction. This allows the area to be used flexibly as an interconnected break, exhibition, leisure and self-learning zone with two outdoor terraces. If required, a separate multifunctional room (01.04), which can be divided by a mobile partition wall system, can be separated from the area on each of the outer sides.
Double year clusters with reference to open spaces
On the ground floor and on the first floor, there will be a double-year cluster accessible from the central access zone. The clusters are grouped around open, bright self-study zones, which are connected to the open space via the open and transparent group and multi-purpose rooms and lit via openings in the classroom walls.
Green classrooms
In addition, each cluster has its own terrace overlooking the open space (green classroom with a view of the treetops) and access to the neighbouring learning garden.
Open space
The skilful urban planning of the new building on the tightly dimensioned site creates a campus with a clear sequence of open spaces that are finely differentiated in their relationship to the learning activities. In addition to the learning gardens and green classrooms on the ground floor and first floor, which are directly assigned to the learning landscapes of the new building, the canteen is extended into the open space by a sunken garden with a terrace area and grass terraces modelled like grandstands with benches. The small embankments are planted with a robust, insect-friendly mixture of perennials and grasses, creating a year-round flowering canteen garden with a high quality of stay.
A seating step system, which also integrates barrier-free access to the lower level, equalises the different levels between the retained large schoolyard and the new sports facilities.
The area freed up by the demolition will provide sufficient space for a multi-purpose all-weather pitch, a long jump and high jump facility, callisthenics equipment and a bouldering wall – an offer that will be further differentiated in discussion with the users.
All roofs will be designed as biodiversity roofs with maximum retention. Where soil conditions permit, rainwater from the roof and paved areas will be infiltrated.
Mobility
The mobility requirements are fully mapped on the competition site. Additional services such as a bike safe and e-charging stations for cars and bicycles are also proposed.
Northwest railway station building site 9 | Vienna, Austria
3rd prize | Nordwestbahnhof building site 9
Vienna, Austria | In collaboration with Schneider+Schumacher
Concept
The ‘Glück am Gleis’ design for the Grünhof combines ecological sustainability with well thought-out design elements to create a sustainable and liveable residential environment that guarantees both public and private space with all the nuances between the two poles and takes ecological and social aspects into account in a balanced way.
The overarching connecting path between the building plots in a N-S direction is extended towards building plot 9 to form a play promenade, which is demarcated from the semi-private inner courtyard by a seating edge and loose shrub planting. In this way, the path becomes its own play and meeting area across blocks with bench elements on the raised seating edge, some of which are covered by rainproof pergolas.
Open space concept
The inner courtyard is a semi-public area dedicated to the residents, shielded from the play promenade by shrubs. Surrounded by trees, the large meadow offers space to play and relax. The play equipment is grouped together as long linear play equipment and positioned on the west side facing the promenade so that it takes up as little space as possible. The areas for the youngest and older children are discreetly separated from each other. They each have seating – some with tables – for the parents. Further table/bench combinations are positioned away from the play sculpture so that children can withdraw.
In addition, an area for urban gardening has been integrated into the inner courtyard as an option to give interested residents the opportunity to grow vegetables and herbs on a communal plot, but on their own raised bed.
The private patio areas are separated from the inner courtyard by a planting area with a mixture of low flowering shrubs and tall, robust grasses and perennials, so that privacy is maintained at all times without the need for hedges. An upstand between the semi-public courtyard and the planting of the private terrace areas also ensures a clear separation of the areas.
The private access routes are designed in such a way that they not only provide access to the flats, but can also serve as fire service access and set-up areas.
A central element of the structural design is the generous greening of the façades, in which – depending on the exposure – a selected range of robust climbing plants is used to improve the microclimate and contribute to the natural cooling of the buildings through both the shading and the evapotranspiration of the climbing plants. The greening of the façades also creates an attractive, green appearance and supports biodiversity.
To promote natural water circulation and prevent flooding, the roof surfaces are designed as retention roofs. The focus of this greening is on optimising biodiversity for the site. The degree of sealing of the open spaces was deliberately kept as low as possible. Permeable surfaces enable efficient infiltration, and the play area is modelled accordingly so that it can also serve as a temporary retention area.
Former Gloria-Palast cinema | Weißenfels
3rd prize | Former Gloria-Palast cinema
Weißenfels | In collaboration with ATELIER 30 Architects
Design idea, guiding principle
The planned refurbishment of the Gloria-Palast offers the opportunity both to preserve the listed building fabric and to restore the historic cinema architecture, as well as to use the historic building for a new purpose with the planned conversion, which will enable the economic and functional maintenance of the building. The renovation of the existing building aims to expose and refurbish the existing building fabric. The design intention is to restore the structure and surfaces as closely as possible to the original 1928 cinema architecture in terms of colours and materials. The fixtures and play equipment required for the intended use as a playground are to be incorporated into the refurbished building as furniture and play sculptures, creating a varied and attractive play landscape with flanking catering facilities. All areas of the building will be playfully integrated. The spectrum ranges from climbing, sliding and creative play to experimentation and a gaming area. The former administration building will be replaced by a new building in which the necessary additional functions will be located. With the direct connection to the existing building, a location with many possibilities is being developed, while at the same time the new building represents the connection to the outdoor play area.
Outdoor facilities / outdoor play concept
The concept of different levels of experience is taken up again in the outdoor facilities. The open space is divided into two clearly defined zones with different play and recreational opportunities. In the south, in contrast to the railway embankment, a green fringe of trees and shrubs, an adventure jungle of shrubs and hedges is created, which takes up the topography of the site and slopes slightly from south to north. A clear edge defines the remaining height difference of approx. 1 metre and the transition to the adjacent experience level, which is at building level. An outdoor catering area and three play bubbles are created here, which are clearly recognisable thanks to their uniform circular shape and offer an intimate play atmosphere. Climbing, bouldering and trampoline jumping facilities are located here and complement the informal appropriation and play opportunities of the adventure jungle with further cross-generational offers.
A sculptural climbing frame accentuates the central play bubble in the centre of the open space. As a connecting element between the outdoor catering area, adjacent to the building, and the play area, it also assumes a guiding function for visitors. A viewing tower on the boundary between the upper and lower experience levels picks up on the special theme of stairs and ups and downs for the cinema. Exciting views of the railway and the Saale river are provided here, creating a visual link between the different experience levels. Steps and seating elements offer the opportunity to linger, while new tree plantings provide shade and a spatial organisation of the outdoor area. A paved path surface in the outdoor catering area and in the north-eastern access route does justice to the high frequency of use of the site. EPDM as a fall protection surface marks the play bubbles. The colour of the paved surfaces supports the special effect of the green façade of the Lichtspielhaus. The high proportion of otherwise unpaved surfaces ensures a pleasant microclimate and meets the current requirements for a sustainable and climate-friendly open space.
City Centre | Borgentreich
3. Prize | City Centre
Borgentreich
A new centre for the organ city
The design concept for the town centre area of the organ town of Borgentreich envisages an upgrading of the historically significant ensemble of church, organ museum and the surrounding half-timbered houses. A strong, green framework will create a central square where the church and the organ museum are located, thus creating a new centre that is appropriate to the location. This square offers space for intergenerational stays, festivals, markets and meetings in front of the church. Appropriate shading and evaporation areas and the use of light-coloured materials will create a climate-adapted urban space.
In the existing building, the organ museum and the church are located on different sides of the street without any connection to each other. There is also a lack of spatial edges around the buildings that would define a common space. By creating a green framework, the necessary boundaries are created. The intensive green framework also forms a sustainable green space within the city. Additional trees will be planted to provide shade and retain moisture in order to minimise the heating of the open spaces in summer. The existing lawns around the church will be transformed into a church garden with herbaceous areas and shrubs. This will allow much more rainwater to seep away and evaporate. When selecting plants, a variety of species is taken into account so that plants are always in bloom throughout the year and thus provide food for insects. At the same time, the plants are robust against longer periods of drought in the summer months. The existing trees will be integrated into the new structure. Individual benches along the church invite visitors to linger in the new church garden.
The open and free square created within the lush, green framework forms the new ‘heart’ of Borgentreich’s town centre. The square is divided into three areas – a church forecourt, a small central town square that extends in front of the organ museum and a further, more secluded square behind the museum. The direct entrance area of the church will have a carpet of large-format, used natural stone slabs. Here, people can stand in the trellis for weddings and socialise after church services. At the end of the carpet, the existing wall to the south merges into two steps that lead down to the street. This further defines and accentuates the church forecourt. Thanks to the natural topography of the square, the church can be accessed barrier-free via the square without any structural installations.
The new small stone paving made of natural stone connects the square areas across the street and draws them together into a single unit. Motorised traffic is guided across the square and sensitised to the use of the square by the visual and tactile change in material.
By slightly reducing the width of the carriageway in favour of the open space, a large, appropriate area is created in front of the organ museum. The space can be used as a place to stay and for catering. Large benches, some with backrests, will be placed around the existing tree in the centre of the square to create a spacious recreation area. The tree is integrated into the paved square with an open tree disc. A space for markets and festivals will be created around the central element to enliven the city centre square. The square will be furnished discreetly and appropriately for the location.
The furniture is made from certified wood and regionally produced materials to avoid long delivery routes. Passing the organ museum on the side, you reach the third area. The green frame also surrounds this area with a lush green back. The square will have a water-bound path surface with light-coloured litter, setting it apart from the central town square in terms of design and giving it its own identity. The existing trees will also be integrated into the new square in order to create large crowns with appropriate shade. A fountain enlivens the small square and provides a pleasant soundscape. The catering facilities are distributed around three sides of the organ museum and thus enliven the adjacent open spaces.
The street space will be massively upgraded with new tree planting. In both Bogenstraße and Marktstraße, the existing motif of the row of trees will be supplemented and completed by new plantings. This will give the street an important green atmosphere. Climate trees suitable for the new challenges in the urban climate will be planted. All new tree plantings will have a tree trench in which the rainwater from the pavements and the street will be collected and seeped away. At the same time, additional water is available to the tree in the event of prolonged drought. The existing tree plantings will be given an open, planted tree disc. The road cross-section will be reduced slightly to create more space for the peripheral areas. The width required for buses to pass each other will be maintained. This will create more space for pedestrians and stationary traffic and give the trees enough room to grow. The new trees will noticeably improve the urban climate, as the shade they cast will reduce the heating of the paved areas and any water that accumulates will be retained in the green areas, where it can seep away and evaporate. The market street will be marked by a low kerb and an open drainage trough.
The redesign gives Bogenstrasse an open, green character. The rainwater that accumulates here runs into the green tree discs of the single-row tree planting, where it can seep away and evaporate. The carriageway itself is only discreetly defined by marker nails. The pavement extends across the entire open space and creates a generous road space in which all road users are equally entitled to use.
Parking spaces for bicycles and cars are created between the tree plantings. Additional seating elements invite people to linger and enliven the street space. The lighting supports the design concept with different intensities. The street lighting will be continued as in the existing design. The new central town square between the church and the museum will also be given special lighting, which will make the new square a single entity even in the twilight and evening hours. The church garden and Rudolf-Reuter-Platz will be fitted with more discreet bollard luminaires.
The design concept, proportions and furnishings are intended to emphasise the character of the small town square. Robust, green and multifunctional, it will be available to residents as a new centre in the future.
En route to the lake | Inden-Schophoven
3. Prize | En route to the lake
Inden-Schophoven
Inden Schophoven’s new green heart.
Open space concept ❘ Over the coming years the entire surrounding area is due to undergo major transformation. An expansive industrial zone, currently inaccessible, will give way to an extensive recreational area with a lake, and this will be made accessible to the public. This will mean a radical change too for Inden Schophoven. This transformation offers a huge opportunity for sustainable development, since the whole region will not only be facing substantial demands due to the change in utilisation, but also climate change. Our design responds to both these key factors. The future park will become part of the region’s tourism concept and at the same time provide a sustainable local recreation area with blue-green infrastructure, while also creating a vista stretching from the Müllenark estate to the lake. Alongside the design for the park, the Müllenark estate will also be incorporated into the project. Here, in future, the focus will be on tourism with the creation of a green inner courtyard incorporating comfortable seating areas for both gastronomy and hotel guests.
The blue-green ribbon ❘ The park stretches from the Müllenark estate to the edge of the future lake. A meandering path connects these two places in a natural way. The path is flanked by a similarly curved retention basin, which splits as it reaches the lake, forming an island. The concept envisages not only the collection, infiltration and evaporation of rainwater within the park grounds, but also channelling rainwater from the surrounding publicly accessible areas into the park and then into the retention basin. Following heavy rainfall, this will create a watercourse leading into the lake. During periods of normal rainfall, individual puddles will form within the trough thus producing constant fluctuation between a water-bearing depression and a dry, utilisable hollow. A selection of resilient plants emphasises precisely these features. In addition to the central depression, some of the remaining areas are also slightly deepened, so they too can serve as retention areas during periods of heavy rainfall.
Modelling ❘ The entire park area is modelled according to these demands and uses, with the principal aim of ensuring all materials remain on site. Excavated spoil from the depression will be employed to form small hills for play and relaxation, or landscaped with plants. The new island will also use this spoil to form it and build it up. Here, intensive greening complete with nesting and nourishing shrubs and insect hotels provides a refuge for animals.
Resources and planting ❘ In selecting materials, emphasis has been placed on the responsible use of resources. Great importance is attached to ensuring short supply routes, using local materials and CO2-neutral forms of production. The extent of paved areas is deliberately kept to a minimum. It is only the meandering paths and the access routes through the park that have a water-permeable surface, whereby the top layer is strewn with a local gravel mix. The area next to the lake will be paved in keeping with the overall plan for the lake promenade. The steps in front are made of prefabricated concrete elements, providing an attractive place to linger right by the water. Furniture and play equipment in the park will be manufactured from certified, durable wood. Planting in the park is deliberately varied, with intensively planted areas alternating with open lawns and meadows. Towards the periphery, areas become more intensively planted. Not only do the various tree types stand closer together, they are also underplanted with shrubs. These are nourishing shrubs and thus provide habitats for animals. In selecting the plants, careful thought has been given to species diversity and sustainability, with a view to increasing biodiversity in the park.
Promenade and transition to lake ❘ The development of Site 2, located between Schlichstrasse and the future lake, will take place in several stages. In the next few years, the existing completely greened shielding wall will be preserved. This area will only be accessible via a simple network of paths. The meandering path through the park, leading from the Müllenark estate continues as a smaller path over the shielding wall and terminates in a viewing platform from which visitors can trace the area’s evolution – from open-cast mine to lake – on display boards highlighting this transformation. Two temporary areas on the shielding wall itself, invite visitors to linger under the trees. To mark the access to the emerging park, troughs already extend under the road as far as the embankment, so rainwater can be captured directly. In order to later merge these two sites into a single park and to create both a visual axis and a hydraulic engineering connection from the Müllenark estate to the lake, the existing shielding wall will be demolished.
Schlichstrasse ❘ A zebra crossing is being installed so that visitors can cross Schlichstrasse safely and move easily between one side of the park and the other.
Lighting concept ❘ Lighting is designed to structure the night-time atmosphere and ensure visitors’ safety. Dark corners and potential danger spots will be illuminated. This will encourage people to use the park during the evening hours and help create a feeling of security. To prevent vandalism, a sufficient number of high mast lights will be provided at regular intervals equipped with energy-saving LED luminaires, which not only protect the environment, but also reduce running costs. Park lighting is also designed to be respectful of the surroundings and prevent any disturbance to wildlife.
Marketplace | Herten
Recognition | Marketplace
Herten
In collaboration with LK Argus GmbH, Kassel
Concept
The new Herten market square is set off by generous green spaces, which are intended to maximise the greening of the previously stone car park. The adjacent urban park and green spaces are taken up and brought further into the city centre. By means of elongated bench elements, a raised substrate structure and thus a greening by trees on the underground car park is made possible. Despite the new layout, the space remains manageable and invites people to browse and linger. Despite this intensive greening, sufficient open space remains for the established weekly markets and other events.
Antoniusstraße is largely freed from traffic and extends the existing pedestrian zone. This will allow the street space to be used by cafés, restaurants and other businesses. A shady row of trees, numerous seating options and bicycle stands create an attractive extension of the city centre with a high quality of stay.
Mobility
The future design of Herten’s market square was developed against the backdrop of climate change, the changing understanding of mobility and the numerous user requirements for public spaces. The concept is characterised by a high standard of amenity and a shift of stationary traffic to directly adjacent areas.
The aim is to reduce motorised traffic within the area to a minimum in order to create a generous open space offering plenty of room for the market, active uses and undisturbed recreational opportunities. Consequently, the square and the neighbouring streets are to be designated as a pedestrian zone, which can only be used by delivery and market traffic at walking speed for a limited period of time. Contrary to the announcement, only seven parking spaces will be created within the area in the southern section, as the formulated requirements for conflict-free traffic organisation, design, greenery and quality of stay of the future market square cannot be reconciled with its use as a car park and counteract the necessary conversion and its objectives.
In addition, the car parks on Kurt-Schumacher-Straße, the underground car park under the market square, which will be renovated, and the Vitusstraße car park, which will be extended in the future, provide sufficient parking space within walking distance. These pedestrian connections will be qualitatively linked to the city centre thanks to their increased attractiveness. In the future, parking space management should make it possible to shift more stationary traffic and, for example, accommodate long-term parkers in the underground car park. The creation of bicycle parking facilities at the individual retail locations and a central facility with weather protection, charging infrastructure for pedelecs and parking spaces for special bicycles will improve the accessibility of the market square for other modes of transport and promote active mobility. In addition, the pedestrian connection to the ‘Kurt-Schumacher-Straße’ bus stop will be upgraded.
The tactile guiding strip in the existing area will also be extended and enable barrier-free access to the market square, Antoniusstraße and the neighbouring alleyways.
Green and open spaces
The market square is almost completely underbuilt by the existing underground car park. Despite these structural conditions and the associated limited possibilities, all square and street spaces follow the principle of the sponge city.
Rainwater should remain on site as far as possible, be available to the planting areas and also be used for evaporative cooling via open troughs. The mix of green and paved areas also offers a wide variety of places to stay and play. Various meeting and recreation areas for young and old will be created on the market square, which will be structured by intensively planted green areas. Large, valuable existing trees will be preserved and supplemented with new plantings. This makes them an important building block for a sustainable city centre and its open spaces. The overall appearance of the market square is supported by a slight topographical elevation of the green areas, which allows the square to be planted despite the underground car park and at the same time creates a varied space.
Material
The new market square is characterised by light-coloured, robust floor coverings that give the city centre a modern appearance. Visually, the areas for the weekly market and the church are set on a natural stone carpet in a Roman pattern, creating a mixture of tradition and modernity. The rest of the market square and the neighbouring alleyways will have a robust, low-maintenance concrete paving, similar to the new paving in Ewaldstraße.
The parking spaces outside the underground car park will be made of grass paving so that the water can seep away directly and the areas will have a near-natural appearance. In the future, these can be removed and the neighbouring green areas extended.
Furnishing
Two central play areas and numerous seating elements liven up the square and provide a variety of places to spend time. Sufficient bicycle racks will be placed along all access routes, including for cargo bikes and e-bikes.
Pole-mounted luminaires will be installed across the square, each with several light points. These will be aligned in such a way that the main areas of the square are specifically illuminated. In this way, light pollution and excessive energy consumption can be avoided. A uniform design and colour concept is chosen for all elements of the square furniture.
