Raitenhaslach Monastery, Burghausen Redesign of the outdoor facilities in the course of the revitalization of the listed monastery area

The 4.2-hectare site of the former Cistercian monastery is located in the Raitenhaslach district of the Upper Bavarian town of Burghausen, directly in the protected landscape area of the banks of the Salzach River. Most of the building fabric is listed as a historical monument. Therefore, all work took place in coordination with the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and was accompanied by archaeologists.

In the course of the revitalization of the outdoor facilities as a public park, a central square area was created with the Great Courtyard as an entrance for visitors and employees, such as the Academy Center of the Technical University of Munich, the monastery inn and the Church of St. George. The basis for the revitalization was a preliminary investigation carried out in 2011 and 2012.

Concept
For the revitalization of the significant monastery area, a fundamental renovation of access, driveways and pathways was necessary to meet today's requirements. During the design process, historical traces were elaborated through source study and extensive site analysis. Old and new spatial references were presented, superimposed and combined into a concept in coordination with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments. It was necessary to weigh which structures are authentic and which should be readable as a quotation.

The old spatial edges of the formerly closed monastery courtyard were made tangible again. For this purpose, the alignments of formerly existing buildings in paths and lawns were made recognizable by means of natural stone slabs. Old path relationships, such as that of the former monastery gate to the prelate's floor - the gate building no longer exists today - are now traceable again as a walkable path in a lawn area.

The Rossschwemme, a water basin that was once probably in the center of the monastery complex, was cited at the presumed location and reinterpreted in terms of design. A stream, brought back to the surface and renaturalized, feeds the water level of the round fountain basin embedded in the terrain. Without technical installation such as pumps, this construction works purely through a hydraulically calculated system.

Materiality
In the design, the aim was to use high-quality materials such as granite and Nagelfluh, coordinated with the architectural monuments adjacent to the outdoor facilities. Also, the creation of design-appealing transitions between footpaths and roadways as well as the demarcation of the traffic functions from each other were important issues.

Accessibility
The concept for accessibility includes, in addition to the consideration of the permissible slopes on the path surfaces, granite paving with a sawn surface to ensure barrier-free walking on the entire site.

Development / Traffic
For the entire site, we have planned not only the open spaces but also the traffic facilities. This includes the entire path system and the access road. In addition, adjacent to the area, a large parking lot for cars and buses was created, which has a percolating surface of water-giving ceiling.