Redesign of the Bastinsweiher pond in the copper town of Stolberg

With the development concept for Stolberg's inner city, the individual subspaces of the valley axis are brought together to form a whole and made readable as a unit via a continuous design canon for the public space.

The Bastinsweiher represents the only predominantly green rest area in Stolberg's inner city. The Frankentalwiese also has the potential to become more prominent as a green open space. In addition, the proximity to the public transport transfer point with connection to the Rathausstrasse and the Mühlener station plays a special role in this urban space for the city centre.

The water area of the Bastinsweiher and the adjacent green space have great potential as an ensemble along the Rathausstrasse to define a distinctive urban place that can be used both by visitors to the city, as well as by the adjacent residential quarters as an open space for local recreation.

The landscape architectural concept aims to give the various open spaces their own themes and make them readable as an ensemble with a high quality of stay. This allows the different user groups to discover attractive spatial situations for themselves and to experience the complexity of the public space. While the areas directly adjacent to the Rathausstrasse, such as the Frankentalwiese and the western bank of the Bastinsweiher, are designed in an open and representative manner, the open spaces to the east of the water area are designed in a park-like manner. The existing groups of trees and shrubs will be integrated into the new design. The cross-reference from the Mühlener Bahnhof and the ZOB over the Vicht to the school buildings will be strengthened by a footbridge over the water area. In addition to the direct walking relationship, the footbridge also has the potential to experience the open space of the Bastinsweiher from a special location on the water.

Bastinsweiher

The Bastinsweiher takes on a special significance in the overall composition through the water surface. The contour of the former water reservoir is corrected in favor of a more generous circulation in the intersection of Rathausstraße and the street "Am Bastionsweiher". This will defuse the crossing from Talbahnstraße for school groups and improve the cross connection over the footbridge towards the school. This area also marks the southern opening and could be further accentuated with a sculpture/art.

The border of the new pond will be accentuated with a continuous pedestal stone. The riparian zone will be shallowly sloped, eliminating the need for a railing to protect against falling into the water. The edge zone will be designed with flowering water plants, so that sitting at the lakeside garden will have special qualities. The experience of the water will be possible in many ways via differentiated accesses, such as the wooden deck "pond terrace" in the north or the seating blocks in the lawn embankment in the east.

Along Rathausstrasse, a block of trees formulates the spatial edge to the pond. It should offer an attractive seating area with benches as a shade canopy for visitors to the city centre, so that a short stop is possible here while shopping. This promenade-like area under the trees is supplemented with small play objects, which refer to the industrial history of the city through their form and material.

Quartierspark

The public green space is being prepared as a small park with a central play area and circular path, primarily as a quiet retreat on the edge of the shopping street and for the adjacent residential quarter. The existing path system will be revised, benches added and the existing trees integrated into the design. The planting areas under the trees will be cleared of shrubs and planted with knee-high grasses and perennials. This will allow better visual references into the park and improve clarity and orientation. The transition to the Vicht River and the school will be marked by a paved carpet that will serve as both a traffic calming device and more clearly connect the bridge over the river to the downtown area.

Mill Play (Place)

A part of the existing green space will be provided with a new pathway towards the Vicht as a play area for small children with its own design theme that relates to the industrial history of the mills and usefully complements the mill race running here in terms of a water play area as a protected retreat for families with children.

Sayett Garden

The Frankental Meadow area will re-accentuate the opening from the north at the Ellermühlen Street intersection as a valuable open space. With reference to the old spinning mill of the Bastin family, a design theme is chosen that refers to the old Rhenish knitting yarn production Sayett with the term Sayett-Garten. The large lawn area is interwoven with white paving bands, which condense into a small square area on Rathausstrasse. This is supplemented with a seating object and plants that make reference to the special calamine flora of the region.