Plaza Design Turns Dead Space Into a Vibrant Livingroom at Stadtlounge, Switzerland

Stadtlounge, St Gallen, Switzerland, by Carlos Martinez Architekten and Pipilotti Rist If you think the color of landscape architecture is green, you had better think again. Stadtlounge plaza design by Carlos Martinez Architekten, in collaboration with the artist Pipilotti Rist, is an astonishing project designed to contrast with many of our preconceptions.

Form, Scale and Material in this Stunning Plaza Design

The plaza design tackles with form, scale, and material in an extraordinary way and appears to be very well received by the citizens of St. Gallen, Switzerland. St. Gallen is the capital of St. Gallen Canton in northeastern Switzerland, and has approximately 73,000 inhabitants. The Raiffeisen bank and the municipality of St. Gallen held an architectural competition to reorganize the town’s central business district. There had appeared to be a lack of coherence in the urban tissue, which had formed a number of voids between buildings. These voids, with irregular shapes and a lack of connection to each other, had to be articulated somehow, and acquire an homogenous identity. That was the primary target of the architectural competition won by Carlos Martinez and Pipilotti Rist.

An Urban Lounge Plaza Design

“Stadt” is the word for “public” in German. So, Stadtlounge is actually what its name suggests: an urban lounge. A group of public “rooms” articulates the free space between the buildings. The different areas/rooms vary in terms of function, structure, and shape. What actually creates a sense of connection between them is the material application. The pedestrian and recreation areas are coated with red, solid-colored rubber granules, whereas the lanes and movement areas are covered with red asphalt. A material that has been closely associated with athletic facilities has been relieved of any sports connotation and has been used for the purpose of a new concept, allowing new forms and possibilities to rise.

Related articles:

• Top 10 Public Squares of the World
• Sculptor Creates Major Public Square!
• Revitalizing London’s Finsbury Avenue Square

The different areas/rooms that Stadtlounge is divided into are the following:

• The Reception Area: This is the “entrance” to the Stadlounge. This is where visitors enter the building complex and the “Lounge”. The sitting areas encourage meetings in small groups, while the access toward the main part is open and welcoming.
• Coffee Shop: There is no lounge, open-air or not, that does not offer such facilities. This is a pleasant area where the inner part of the complex as well as the city’s vibrations can be observed in a relaxing state.
• Relaxation Lounge: This is the lounge’s main area. There has always been a “plaza” here. All the pre-existing elements, such as trees and water fountains, have been preserved or transformed according to the new design guidelines.
• Business Lounge: The space created by the recess of the bank building forms another area with a special identity. The urban furniture located here has been designed in order to accommodate meetings and bring the bank’s activity closer to city life.
• Sculpture Park, Reading Corner: This is the most intriguing part of the intervention. Interior qualities have been brought into the urban context, accompanied by a very subtle sense of humor and creativity. A large vase made of tartan reminds us that this is a lounge, as cozy as our sitting room and as accessible as the city square.

Reinterpreting Interior Design in an Urban Scale The lighting used to illuminate the space tackles the idea of reinterpreting interior design in an urban scale, as well. The large, round luminaria that float above Stadtlounge resemble enormous chandeliers or, perhaps, big, bright suns. The perceptions depends on the visitor. One could argue that such interventions could not be considered site-specific and thus apply almost everywhere. However, Stadtlounge has been designed taking into consideration certain space particularities such as the synagogue entrance on the northern part of the intervention area. The surface before the building entrance has been left free in order to accommodate the synagogue’s function. A Plaza Design that Provides COmmon Ground for all Expressions of Everyday Life The concept of Stadtlounge is an excellent idea that has been materialized in the most complete way. The red urban carpet that encloses and involves everything provides the common ground for all functions, versions, and expressions of everyday life in an urban context. However, I cannot help thinking that no matter how amazing red is, green is an indispensable part of landscape perception. I would have wished for more green elements, such as trees, to emerge from the red canvas. Nevertheless, one should welcome and be inspired by interventions such as Stadtlounge. Unless otherwise stated photos by Marc Wetli/Hannes Thalmann Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Eleni Tsirintani Return to Homepage

Published in Blog