Area Development, Herisau, Switzerland

Arriving, departing, transferring, pausing – the train station plaza is an interface of the town and the region. It enables simple and clear transfer possibilities (fast zones), offers welcoming qualities (slow zones), and serves as the entry to the town. Herisau can take advantage of its unique opportunity not only to enhance the train station area, but also to utilize a holistic strategy that better ties the station to the village.

The area naturally divides itself into three long, drawn-out bands in the direction of the train tracks. The distinctive edges of the terrain in the south will be complimented by a backbone of buildings in the extension of the historic train station building and post office. Within this clear framework, the middle band offers a diverse sequence of spaces and uses.

The train station itself lies in the center. A large roof covers the fast zones and endows this fragmented spatial situation with identity. Squares to the sides offer places to linger. These will be spatially defined by a stand-alone building to the east and a “head-end” structure to the west with a base level at the height of the Bahnhofstrasse, which simplifies and clarifies the relationship between train station and town.

Step-by-step implementation is very flexible according to the possibilities and intentions of the owners and investors. First, the station plaza will be created as an infrastructure project. In order to frame the space, the stand-alone building should be realized early. Finally, the “head-end” building can be developed, so the entry to the town can be adapted. Over the long term, the garages on the Südostbahn (SOB) grounds can be replaced with a new row construction with a high point, which clarifies the entry to the area and the new situation around the traffic circle.