"The lake makes waves" Redesign of Hullerner Straße and Lippspieker in Haltern am See

Hullerner Straße / Lippspieker are according to the city topography the shortest connection between the city center and the reservoir. Nevertheless, this route of outstanding importance for Haltern am See is rather significant and accepted only for those who know the place.

The old Hullerner Straße is today as a "dead end" (tied off by the railway line Münster - Recklinghausen) too wide dimensioned and is used in disorderly form on both sides as a parking lot.

The distance area between Hullerner Straße and Lippspieker along the south adjacent cemetery is monotonously structured, in need of redevelopment and disorienting due to its poor height profiling on both sides of the railway underpass: The underpass is not perceived at a distance due to extreme ramps and stairs.

Guiding idea of the design

The railway line Recklinghausen / Münster is an optical and physical caesura in the urban development process, despite or even because of the minimalist construction standard of the existing railway underpass. Visitors from beyond the region come to the "Halterner" reservoir, but no one perceives the city.

City and country (lake) must overcome existing barriers or distances and become an infrastructural network. The city needs to feel the proximity of "its" lake:

"The lake makes waves" ...

... up to the old town.

The central open space receives a linear routing up to the railway underpass with an elevation profile such that the railway underpass is already perceived in the square-like "approach" in the west.

In order to strengthen the sensory stimulus, the main path axis is accompanied by a blue band of paving: The "blue water" touches the city and sets the scene of the lake close to the old town. In a concrete stele the blue band rises up and symbolizes the bridge (over the railway line) to the lake.

Language of form and quality of space

Outside the path line, borders and surfaces are in motion: Water waves like oscillate the change of material between path and lawn. The lawn makes waves and animates the visitor to playful movement.