Project:

The Mühlbach Bridges

Year:

2022

Client:

City of Tübingen

Location:

Tübingen, Germany

Program:

Housing, administrative, retail

Area:

180’000 sqm

Commission:

Competition with pre-qualification, 4th Prize

ARCHITECTS:

Hosoya Schaefer Architects

PLANNING TEAM:

Studio Vulkan Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH

 

The Mühlbachäcker as a networked quarter of nature

The Mühlbackäcker will become an urban quarter. Becoming urban means – in addition to a dense mix of uses – especially a high degree of networking, so that new relationships, opportunities and synergies are generated.

From north to south, the quarter is already naturally interconnected via the current development (Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse and Mühlbach) – but otherwise it is highly fragmented. Four new or strengthened main connections in the east-west direction – the Mühlbach bridges – link the quarter with the surrounding area, create new relationships and at the same time new central, urban and frequented places in the quarter. These new or strengthened networking axes are always designed for bicycle and pedestrian traffic; car traffic becomes a subordinate factor in the urban network. The structure of the cross-connections takes up the classic grid structure of Tübingen’s Südstadt – the new quarter thus becomes part of the evolved urban structure.

The landscape space of the Mühlbachäcker area already describes in its name as a natural as well as culturally used open space. Clear zoning and hierarchy of the open spaces thus enable a variety of different qualities for the local neighborhood and the adjacent quarters.

The central Mühlbach Park forms the heart of the area as a natural space – selectively enriched with recreational and leisure uses.  Arranged across the Mühlbach, the Mühlbachboulevard forms a central meeting point for the neighborhood – this also connects the bus stop Brühlstrasse to the bicycle route in the west and the Saibenquartier.

The Mühlbachplatz in the south, as a green space, forms the transition to the Saiben neighborhood in the west – it connects directly to the overlapping open space connection along the Steinlach.

The settlement edge, which is open to the landscape today, serves as an important fresh air corridor for the southern city quarters of Tübingen. By orienting the cross streets and roads in the prevailing west/southwest wind direction, the open spaces serve as fresh air corridors for the new neighborhood into the existing adjacent neighborhoods to the east during the hot summer months.

The open block structure blends into the neighborhood and further develops the Tübingen neighborhood model into an even more mixed urban neighborhood typologically and in terms of use. The flexible structure allows for different grain sizes, depths and subdivision possibilities.

A balanced grain of uses
The goal is to achieve a balance of dispersion and concentration. For example, students are given a block mixed only with government offices so that the courtyard can be used by students and there are no noise conflicts with residential uses.  Other student housing is more small-scale and distributed on other blocks, but they can use the large student courtyard as an open space and a meeting place.

Projects

Architecture

Herrliberg-Feldmeilen station, 2020 –
Current state: framework plan

Haus Myrte, Wädenswil, 2022 –
Current phase: tender

House Renovation, Geneva, 2021 –
Current phase: ongoing

Airport Engadin, St. Moritz, 2020 –
Current phase: construction project

Cooperative Housing, Wetzikon, 2020 –
Current phase: tender

Fabrik.sg, 2020 –
Current phase: Project phases design to operation

ZHA, Boulevard, Hönggerberg Campus, 2020 –
Current state: ongoing (with Studio Vulkan)

Wilhelmsburg Rowing Club, 2020 –
Current phase: execution planning

Primary School Christoph Merian, Basel, 2019 –
Current phase: construction project

Station Square and Roof, Herisau 2015 –
Current phase: tender

MEWA-Areal, Wädenswil, 2018 –
Transformation Project from the former industrial estate to the mixed-use development with housing
Current phase: framework plan

Viererfeld, Bern, 2018 –
Housing
Current phase: on hold

Urban Design

Bahnhof Romanshorn, 2022 –
Current state: study (with Sudio Vulkan)

Kaserne Aarau, 2022 –
Current state: urban framework

Areale Wittenbach, 2022 –
Current state: urban design commission

Stiftungsareal Neumünster, 2022 –
Current state: study

Kieler Schloss, 2022 –
Current state: Public think tank on usage and architecture

Campus Heidelberg, 2021 –
Current state: Masterplan process, in-depth studies

Otterbach Süd, 2020 –
Current state: urban framework plan

Innovation Park Bergedorf, 2020 –
Current state: urban framework

Station Area Dietikon, 2019 –
Current state: urban framework plan

Campus Bochum, 2018 –
Current state: project support

Metalli, Zug, 2017 –
Current state: project support

Bahnstadt Nürtingen, 2017 –
Current state: project support

Areal Neugasse Zürich, 2016 –
Current state: completion of master plan, public consultation

Elbinselquartier Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg, 2015 –
Current state: project support

Tech Cluster Zug, 2015 –
Current state: transformation plan

Station Herisau, 2013 –
Current state: areal development

KNZ Wil West, Thurgau / St. Gallen, 2011 –
Current state: project support

Urban System Research

Metaverse, 2022 –
Current state: ongoing

Entwicklungskonzept Würzenbach, 2022 –
Current state: ongoing

ESP Hochdorf, 2021 –
Current state: spatial-urban as well as use- and circular-based development concept

Deep Urbanism, 2021 –
Current state: ongoing

cividi gmbh – civic data intelligence, 2019 –
Digital tools for the analogue city
Current state: ongoing

Contact

Zürich office

Flüelastrasse 10, 8048 Zürich, Switzerland (Google Maps)
T. +41 43 243 6313 F.

GENERAL INQUIRIES: office@hosoyaschaefer.com
PUBLIC RELATIONS: press@hosoyaschaefer.com
CAREER: job@hosoyaschaefer.com (Please refer to our OFFICE > CAREER section for further information)

Kyoto office

Jimukinoueda bldg. 603, 21 Sakaicho, Gojo-Takakurakado, Shimogyoku, Kyoto 600-8191, Japan
T. +81 75 744 1503
office@hosoyaschaefer.com