Re-Use in a Public Space

Usually the station square is located in front of the station building – not so in Romanshorn. Here, the square is conceived as a continuation towards the harbour. The edge of the platform – the «harbour platform» – as part of the square forms an open end with a view over the harbour basin.

Romanshorn treats resources with care. The existing structures are a value and are preserved, transformed and reinterpreted. Existing elements such as sealed surfaces or roof elements are preserved or repositioned; a continuous pavement design is applied to the existing pavement via markings. The resulting plaza space places all mobility types on an equal footing – this reduces speeds and leads to a coexistence of commuters, tourists on the cycle path, and traffic arriving and departing from the station.

The harbour basin defines the unique character of the city’s location on Lake Constance. The gentle wave structure incorporated into the square texture references the protected water body of the harbour basin. The harbour perron thus remains in the memory of visitors and passers-by via the carpet of decking that is specific to Romanshorn.