Moltkeplatz, Bonn

"Plazablanca" as a program

An urban public space with its heterogeneous demands for use requires creative open space that gives the place an identity without formulating too much in advance. Behind the roughness of the title lies the planning philosophy that "semi-finished products", i.e. plans that can be interpreted and used in a variety of ways, are more likely to meet the requirements than ready-made solutions or pre-composed images. Plazablanca describes the natural stone plateau as the heart of the planning and emphasizes its openness for a variety of activities.



Two worlds meet in the naming:

Prussian austerity and Rhenish, tongue-in-cheek cheerfulness. The strict geometry of Platanenplatz is extended onto the square, creating a rectangle that extends onto the square. The edge at the street is 1 m above the level of the square. On the plateau, a natural stone is laid in a massive "Prussian blue" 50 cm above the plateau surface. In contrast, the square is loosely covered with sophores, which form an atmospheric contrast to the austerity of the plateau.

The contrast relates both formally and functionally to the design of the square: while the square area is open for market use and catering from the edge of the old town, the plateau is kept free of commercial activities. The self-confident and independent form of the plateau with the blue seating platform is a placeholder for an urban public space. It radiates out from the quarter onto the entire square and encourages market and cinema-goers to visit: the plateau thus functions as a chill-out zone that is both a stage and a spectator platform. Prussian austerity creates open spaces for colorful and lively use that are open to everyone - no matter how big their wallet. The virtuality and fascination of the cinema world is juxtaposed with a self-confident, "real" urban life.