Redesign of the entrance to Alt-Oberndorf

Located in the eastern entrance area of the old town of Oberndorf, the square is part of the Alt-Oberndorf redevelopment area and is located directly on Ernst-Sachs-Straße, which is dedicated as a main road and merges into Hauptstraße in this area.

On the one hand, the urban development situation was characterized by the transition from commercial areas to the former town center of Oberndorf, the actual redevelopment area. However, there was a particular lack of interesting squares and designed public spaces in the Oberndorf district.

Opposite Ernst-Sachs-Straße and Hauptstraße and bordering in a south-westerly direction are former agricultural properties with a farmyard character.

The area presented itself as a previously featureless and isolated open space and, as is largely the case in Oberndorf, was paved with asphalt. Parallel to the road was the building of a former kiosk.

Adjacent to this south-facing area towards the school is a lawn, which is screened by large trees. Adjacent to this is the Dr. Pfeiffer special school.

Together with the street space, the square was overloaded on one side by the traffic function of moving and stationary traffic. It therefore had a negative impact on the townscape and the quality of life.

The building of the former kiosk formed a kind of barrier to the approx. 450 m² park behind it. Furthermore, the existing green space was separated from the adjacent traffic areas by the building and existing walls and was only accessible via a staircase from the direction of Schulgasse.



Initially, this green space was part of the school grounds. When the school sports hall was built, it was separated from it and since then has been an isolated green space between the hall and the former kiosk building along Schulgasse.



During the preliminary urban planning investigations in the area of Alt-Oberndorf, it was determined that "the high degree of sealing and the lack of greenery on the edges of the streets.... lack the village character of the open spaces."

As a result, the green design concept provided for the redesign of the open space with the creation of a square.

The framework planning completed in 2000 stipulated that the widened edge of the entrance to the town should be improved. The planting of tall individual trees was also proposed in order to emphasize the entrance situation to the historic town center.

The framework plan also recommended that targeted tree planting, based on the former farming village, could give the open spaces a more natural impression and, according to the study report, is also desirable for ecological reasons.



The preparatory studies also named the following goals for the redevelopment of Alt-Oberndorf Improvement of the residential environment to increase the quality of stay on streets and squares.



The aim of the design was therefore, on the one hand, to increase the amenity value of the square, to close the edge of the space towards the through road and, at the same time, to connect the square with the green space behind it.

The existing former kiosk building was demolished except for the existing station and a pergola was added. Furthermore, the wall adjacent to the building was opened up to the green space behind it.

The demolition allows access to the small park from two sides towards Ernst-Sachs-Straße and also opens up views into the green space.



The existing maples along Schulgasse were retained and, together with the new tree grid, interlink the square with the green space. The paved square now flows seamlessly into the adjacent green space.

Nine new cornelian cherry trees have been planted here. The position of the trees thus frames the

adjacent lawn and defines the transition to the traffic areas.

This created the following sequence from the green space towards the two roads:



Green space - tree grid - footpath and cycle path - road.



The newly designed green space was given a clear boundary to the school with a shaped hedge. To overcome the difference in height between the green space and the adjacent footpath, an edging was created along the school lane as a seating edge, which becomes lower towards the square and thus opens up the green space towards the square and makes it accessible.

The existing cycle path along the road was retained and integrated into the design of the square.