Solingen - City Hall Design of the outdoor facilities of the new town hall building on Cronenberger Straße

The entrance to the new city hall quarter in Solingen is formed by a spacious square whose design is determined by the flow of people. Bands in the paving pick up walking lines and become pulsating lines of light at night. As a counterpart to this open space characterized by movement, introverted green courtyards are created inside. Bands of plants are integrated into gravel areas, creating a graphic image through a combination of flat grass plantings, geophytes and flowering perennials. The centre of the town hall area is formed as a linear park: Play and recreational facilities will be integrated into an elongated, sculpted ribbon of lawn. As a green boulevard, the park becomes a link between the residential development in the north and the town hall extension in the south.

The play areas upgrade the town hall square to a high-quality recreational area with play objects.

The design is characterized by the close interplay of architecture and open space. A system of squares and promenades links the area with its surroundings, creating a sequence of exciting places that allow for a wide variety of uses. A continuous paving of light and dark concrete slabs connects the different subspaces of the area. The existing, characteristic tree population forms the backbone of the planning. The existing trees will be preserved as far as possible, where this is not possible the green character of the area will be perpetuated by new plantings.

City Hall Square

The urban entrance to the City Hall Quarter is formed by a generous square, around which the New City Hall, Block C and the bus stop are grouped. Towards Merianstraße, the square is bordered by a staircase that runs out towards Adenauerstraße. Here it is possible to enter the square at the same level, the town hall is thus accessible without barriers. The centre of the square is formed by a group of trees with sculptural seating elements. At the edges of the square there are benches and the square lighting. Otherwise, the square is kept free of furniture, thus providing space for events, for outdoor seating for the catering trade and sufficient space for the fire brigade to move around.

Green Wave

The centre of the town hall area is formed as a linear 'pocket park': two footpaths frame an elongated, sculpted ribbon of lawn, the "Green Wave". As a green boulevard, the "Grüne Welle" connects the old and the new town hall, at the same time it is the link between the future residential development in the north and the town hall extension in the south. The lawn wave is aligned with the historic town hall façade, and finds a second, modern focal point in the tower of Block C.The modelling of the lawn band picks up the rhythm of the rows of trees in the residential area. At the end points, the modelling is lowered enough to allow the lawn to be driven over by the fire brigade. The rows of trees themselves are continued in the form of ornamental cherry trees, and the resulting ribbon of trees continues into the courtyards of the town hall extension. Play and recreation facilities are integrated into the ribbon of grass. The play occasions are harmoniously embedded in the lawn wave, various possibilities for movement play are offered.