Europan 12 | Wittenberge - OPERASTUDIO, Camillo Magni_Operastudio, Lucia Paci_Operastudio, Francesco Nobili, Andrea Zecchetti, Mirco Monti

URBAN PLANNIG STRATEGIES

Wittemberge, halfway between Hamburg and Berlin is a city with a strong naturalistic tourism, due to the presence of the Elbe, its valleys and meadows. The Elbe biosphere, recognized by unesco, is among the most beautiful river landscapes of Europe and extends to the historic town of Wittenberg. The project site is overlooking the river with a longitudinal development, and is characterized by the presence of a complex of industrial buildings previously used as warehouses and grain silos and other historic buildings already converted with public functions. The site is an interface between the towbbbbbn and its natural surroundings. The project in this area offers the opportunity to open a site previously closed to residents and visitors and to relate it to the city through a series of paths that connect to the historic center and the shopping center (west side), and to the station and the station museum through Packhofstrabe (north side). The project’s primary goal is to reconnect the project area to the city center through the project of paths and open spaces in which there are existing buildings and new ones. The open space is the true protagonist: it draws a large park for the city connected by pedestrian and cycle paths that pass through it and running along the river. Inside the park, we are working on the recovery of existing buildings and new construction starting fromof the respect for the place, from the dialogue with the existing, for enhancement of the urban landscape and the riverside, limiting the consumption of soil.

RE-HUB Health-wellness and food The city ‘s development is oriented toward the needs of all ages, with particular enphasis on familys , young people and people living in the city. Variety of cultural and educational activities, lively retail, catering and service sectors, and well –manteined public spaces will make the city more actractive to both residents and visitors. Private investments has resulted in numerous other facilities in the buildings, including a riverside cafè, a restaurant . A hotel with 58 beds, conference rooms and a climbing and diving tower. Starting from the functions in the area and thinking about the vocation of tourism and culture, it was thought that this would become an area dedicated to health, wellness and food, sports, housing forn new way of living in the park. Starting from the functions in the area and thinking about the vocation of tourism and culture, it was thought that this would become an area dedicated to health, wellness and food, sports, residence and also inserting new ways of living in the park. Outdoors to and contact with nature, experiencing different landscapes and practicing wellness activities, in the renovating and new buildings is a way to live well and in relation to the city where you live.

THE RIVEPROMENADE AND THE PARK

The open space, the protagonist of the project, is constructed through the combination of three different landscapes that offer different ways to live in contact with nature and at the same time be in direct relationship with the city: an alternation between built-up areas, green glades and a part like an urban forest. This suggestion comes from the character of the surrounding landscape that alternates between patches of dense vegetation to extensive lawns. 1_The first “metaphorical” level consists of the landscape that can be seen from the river: it is attended by adding a few new buildings that are going to strengthen the system of cross-river views and attracting the type of existing ones. 2_The second level is the riverside promenade which becomes a pedestrian and bicycle path that runs along the entire riverfront site, alternating enlargements setbacks or relaxing areas that are home to small docks and relaxation. The riverside promenade is related in a direct manner to the existing store house buildings to be restored and the designed new ones. 3_The third level is made up of a broad green glade, which because of its nature offers the ability to host different temporary activities or remain free. This is crossed by paths that connect the urban forest to the entrances of the storehouses and the riverside. At the east end of the Park towards the city center there is a pavilion bar that marks an entrance to the Park. 3 other little buildings used for storage, mark the longitudinal path that runs through the area. 4_The fourth level is characterized by the features of a dense forest of trees on a plot of clay, which acts as a filter and permeable boundary between Bad-Wilsnacker-Strasse, the city and the park. Within the forest there are small pavilions that can accommodate different functions (bar, newsagent, bike storage), playground for children, chairs, bowls, wifi. The forest is interrupted by the square of access to the park, at the intersection of Bad-Wilsnacker Strabe and Packhofstrabe. Here is also a small info- point to inform people about the activities taking place in the buildings of the park. By making the riverbank more accessible and increasing its function as a gateway to the transnational Biosphere Reserve, by the project of the different open spaces and the buildings inside the area, the project helps the city to further develop its identity on the continuum between cityscape and rural nature.

TIME LINE Trying to identify the priority areas for development, thinking that the proposal can be realized incrementally: 1_the riverside promenade, most important link between the park area and the old town 2_the level of the garden park that can accommodate spaces for temporary activities such as team games, concerts, small pavilions for exhibitions, facilities for outdoor activities 3_ the park characterized by a forest of trees and the activities that take place there 4_renovation of grain silos and extensions 5_new buildings that integrate existing ones

THE STOREHOUSES COMPLEX AND NEW BUILDING The derelict grain silos are standing directly on the river banks. These are Landmarks characterizing the long river, together with other buildings and infrastructure along the Elba. The project was inspired by the theme of the existing landmarks, recovering the storehouses and adding 4 new buildings along the river which are used to define the masterplan, together with the adjacent historic buildings. The storehouses’ reutilization project fits in with the planned development context of culture, leisure time, tourism, residential units and appropriate commercial undertakings. This is processed in compliance with the architectural language of the existing buildings and only adding the volumes that serve as vertical distribution.