Areal am Kronenrain
Architect: MONO Architekten
Location: Neuenburg am Rhein, Germany
Type: Parking Garage, Public Space, Bridge, Tower
Year: 2024
Photographs: Gregor Schmidt
The following description is courtesy of the architects. Due to its exceptional location at the tri-border region of France, Switzerland and Germany, the city of Neuenburg am Rhein has always been of special importance. As part of the State Garden Exhibition 2022, the town had the opportunity to reorganize urban areas. The site known as “Am Kronenrain”, located between the city center and the redesigned green space “Stadtpark am Wuhrloch”, played a significant role in this endeavor. The preliminary urban situation proved to be dissatisfactory with hardly any usable space and a height difference of around nine meters.
MONO created a distinctive ensemble – consisting of a parking garage, public space, bridge and tower – which fills the gap and serves as a link between the green space and the town center. It forms a clear landmark: the tower can be seen from afar and engages in a dynamic dialogue with the adjacent parking garage. The areas behind the parking garage serve as a base for the new public space. From here, one can access the tower via the bridge or continue the journey further down to the park and Rhine. In addition to being an access point, the tower offers an observation platform.
The parking structure is designed as a three-story parking garage. The balanced proportion of open facade elements provides the interior with daylight and natural ventilation. The public space was created on top of the parking garage. The previously abruptly ending street layouts now merge into a well-proportioned plaza. In the future, densification through small parceling and mixed-use is planned. In the future, the bridge is planned to be extended as a ramp down to park level, providing an extra barrier-free connection in addition to the elevator, which is also sized for bicycles.
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The use of durable, robust materials such as rammed concrete and Corten steel creates conditions for the future. Defining elements include the perforated facades, uniformly made of sedimentary layers of red-tinted rammed concrete, which are inspired by the traditional use of red sandstone in this region and the former riverbank of the Rhine. This construction method is simple and craftsmanship-oriented, including layer-by-layer compaction of a moist mixture. Similar to the formation of natural sedimentary layers, this creates a versatile facade pattern that emphasizes the buildings’ simple and robust character.
Project Details
- Location: Am Kronenrain, 79395 Neuenburg am Rhein, Germany
- Client: City of Neuenburg am Rhein
- Completion: 2023
- Architecture: MONO Architekten, Berlin
- Website: www.monoarchitekten.de
- Instagram: @monoarchitekten
- Project leader: Daniel Schilp
- Team: André Schmidt, Jonas Greubel, Mariana Varela, Zsofia Mester, Peter Heckeroth, Eric Zapel, Lisa van Heyden, Noah Ehlers
- Photography: Gregor Schmidt
- Website: www.gregorschmidt.com
- Instagram: @gregor__schmidt
