Village meets town" competition - Viernheim town centre

Competition entry "Dorf trifft Stadt" Viernheim - urban planning competition 2010/2011
Placement: shortlist

"Village meets city" - Design of the public space of the inner city of Viernheim - Explanatory report

Guide idea:
The design is based on the heterogeneity of building forms and urban spaces in the processing area. Up to now, these have been partly concealed (tree plantings) and blocked by land-use planning measures. They are to be cleared, designed according to their respective significance and linked with each other. A new whole with a higher value and its own identity is created.

Design approaches:
1.By "clearing" obstructed sight lines and valuable buildings, the already existing in
value, inferior areas by a high-quality basic structure (pavement, equipment, design)
be upgraded.
2.The different building forms and structures shall be connected by:
a.a strong center (Apostle's Square) and leading to it as well as
b.a uniform, continuous paving.
3.Significant guidelines
and gateway elements are to be formed and lines of sight are to be exposed in order to (barrier-free) link the spaces to each other and to the centre. From the edge to the centre, the system becomes more compact (point - line - area).
4. Fixtures and furnishings as well as stand set-up areas in the street space are to be arranged and standardised along the functional bands. They shall be robust as well as capable of being attached and removed.
5.Despite the possible realization in construction phases, a clear open space concept
is recognizable from the beginning, on which the entire measure can grow.
6.The open spaces and streetscapes are feasible within the given budget and can be well
maintained. Simplicity in materials and form serve this purpose as much as they enhance the conciseness of the
place.

Open Space Concept:
From the center of Apostle's Square with Apostle's Church and City Hall, the downtown's redesigned spatial fabric of street, square and garden spaces develops as follows:
a.The pedestrian areas of Rathausstrasse, Schulstrasse and Kettelerstrasse form a coherent, high-quality designed open space of the same materiality (natural stone or concrete block paving) and equipment/furnishing, graded towards the peripheral areas. The starting points are upgraded to gateway situations by large tree, lamp stele, change of pavement format (paving slabs instead of paving) as well as artistically designed gutter inlet points. Intersections (Schul-/Rathausstraße and Hofmann-, Lorscher- and Rathausstraße) and focal points (Café Grimminger at the north end, half-timbered house at the south end - both emphasize the dialectic village - city in an interesting way) are staged by floor inlays and light. The consequent leading to the center (Apostelplatz) is achieved by the linearity of the pavements (strips of flagstones as walkways and functional bands, as well as granite work stone gutters).
b.Apostelplatz: It represents the central stage of urban life and lingering in the open air and is to be permanently upgraded as such. The square area between the church and the town hall and to the east of the church will be largely "cleared" of trees and fixtures and paved with high-quality natural stone paving (China certified). Historical fixtures such as mosaic paving and fountains will be newly paved (mosaic) or given a new artistic form (water throne). The southern side access to the church will be clearly designed. The meadow in front of the rectory (parish garden) will be accessible with pavement strips and formally related to the church and rectory as well as upgraded by medicinal herbs and perennials.
c.Town hall forecourt: Open and extraverted with steps and ramps (all of them barrier-free according to DIN 18024) instead of walls, the council chamber turns towards the church and the public space. This is also done by placing the new water table (council fountain), which brings together the town hall and church forecourt and enlivens the square area by the café. The backyard situation of the parking lot behind the pavilions becomes a public multifunctional space, e.g. for summer outdoor catering (council café), but also as a right of way and for temporary parking during important receptions in the town hall (if necessary until the entrance to the town hall is moved to the north side). Seating steps will allow for shaded seating and use for outdoor events (summer theater). The summer stage will remain in the front of Town Hall and in the Times Café hospitality area, but will be moved away from the immediate main entrance area. The Town Hall plateau will be cleared (bike racks, extra-wide ramp structures) and will have a formal hedge parterre ( Council Garden) to provide amenity space and green architecture.
d.Parking Neuer Markt: The Neuer Markt must, in addition to a high parking density, also as an inner-city square space and entrée to the city hall gestalt. This will be done by upgrading the plaza surface (blasted concrete pavers) and locating the center with a large group of trees from Council Linden. The parking stands are rearranged, the square takes up the permanent parking spaces to the south in front of the town hall.
e.Satonevri Square (cultural garden) : As a hybrid open space ("half garden, half square"), the artificiality of this underbuilt area (underground car park roof) is represented by the grid arrangement of the lighting pyramids. From this, the new design is derived from bands, which are partly green, partly water-bound, creating a green square or an accessible garden. Seating areas are arranged around the light pyramids, which are illuminated and staged at night. Some of the trees will be preserved, but the overall stock will be thinned out considerably, and some of the green strips will be planted with perennials. A planted pergola ("Leselaube") borders the space, a forecourt to the library allows author readings. A play area for young and old is integrated as part of a city-wide play concept ("wandering line") and takes into account the theme of health and play (theme balance). Reading and play belong together, as in the classical grammar school (proximity to the Goethe grammar school).
f.Rovigoplatz: By "freeing" surplus miniature trees (spherical maples), high-quality square reinforcement and economical, high-quality equipment with drinking or market fountain and youth meeting point, the square becomes an open space for stay and market (enlargement of the footprint), into which also the connecting path from Robert-Koch-Straße flows. The traffic-calmed school street area and the newly arranged underground parking access (removal of parking spaces directly at the indoor swimming pool wall) allow safe stay for young people and improve the overall area.

Paving, furniture and equipment, planting, lighting and information concept:
Totally in the village heritage, the material canon aims at "simple but good" materials and equipment. The dialogue between village and city is continued with the contrasting pair "paving - slab" (= small - large). The paving of brown-reddish granite (China, certified) runs through all street and square areas as a uniform carpet, while the large-format light grey concrete slabs (1.50 x 1.50 x 0.14 m) appear as lines and directional markers in the form of walkways and functional rails (carriers of the street furniture and equipment) and are thus part of the information guidance system (also guidance system for the blind!). The granite-workstone gutters also serve this purpose. Water table and throne are made of basalt (table) and shell limestone (throne). The pavement surfaces are sawn and flamed (granite pavers), blasted (concrete pavers), or exposed concrete (slabs), making them easy to walk on and use by bike, as well as barrier-free.
The street furniture and structural fixtures (bollards for seats and benches, tree discs, drinking fountains, bicycle racks, etc.) are made of light gray cast stone and color-coated steel, supplemented by steel structures (some of which are overgrown) (trellis, bench supports), possibly combined with wood. The existing post-top lights and additional steel bollards and planters complement this attitude, as does a good catalogue of outdoor furniture for the catering and shop displays and the play elements ("red line"). All steel furnishing elements can be dismantled.
The planting concept is based on the existing stock, which will be retained but thinned out considerably in the street area and at Satonevriplatz (Rathausstraße approx. every second tree). In the area of damaged tree stocks (black locust), minor new planting is also planned. In addition, the tree pits should be made throughout according to the latest state of the art (FLL tree pits), which should be possible throughout due to the largely still low age. A new site will be prepared next to the old oak for later replacement planting. In the area of the gardens (Pfarr-, Rats-, Kulturgarten) flowering tree solitaires will be planted to enliven the townscape. Uniform flower tubs also take this into account.
Bands of hedges along the edges and at Satonevri Square and hedge trunks in the Council Garden structure the space, and climbing shrubs along the pergola complete the concept.
The open space concept allows for a simple, robust stormwater concept that provides delayed drainage of roof and surface water via open gutters. Since the soil conditions do not allow for direct infiltration, retention and / or infiltration of infiltration trenches is reserved only for garden sub-areas.
The lighting concept is also based on the existing building (retention and repositioning of the surface-mounted luminaires), a master elevation is recommended by the manufacturer. The important buildings and viewpoints are illuminated, the entrance areas are staged by raised light columns. Ground spotlights illuminate important trees; fountains and other sculptures are staged with LED elements.
The info-guidance system is significant and simple ("recognizable-unobtrusive").

Realization, maintenance, cost-effectiveness
The open space design is easy to realize in the planned construction phases. The use of natural stone paving for wide pavement areas is durable and sustainable and possible within the planned investment cost framework through the use of Chinese material with certification for humane manufacturing conditions (no child labor). Towards the edge areas of the city centre, some grading and concrete block paving will be laid, which will also save costs. The preservation of the pole lights, the extensive preservation of the trees (little new planting, more thinning out) and the simple-good furnishings also have a favourable effect in terms of costs.