Speichersdorf (DE)

SITE / CONTEXT

For Speichersdorf, the aim is to identify and realize exemplary solutions that strengthen the resilience of the municipality vis-à-vis demographic changes, economic upheavals, and the effects of climate change.
What are sought are model-like projects that can serve as an initial spark and engine for the transformation of the entire region of Upper Franconia.
The municipality, with its 5,907 residents, is located in the Upper Palatinate in the Free State of Bavaria in southern Germany. The location is a region of gently rolling hills with meadows and areas shaped by agriculture, embedded in forested areas.
Speichersdorf is part of the Nuremburg metropolitan region. The closest cities, Bayreuth (75,000 residents) and Nuremburg (518,000 residents), can be reached by train or car in fourteen and sixty minutes.
The participants can choose from three areas to be developed further:
A) For the former festival hall, concrete architec- tural proposals for repurposing the construction of the hall and finding a new use for the building should be developed.
B) At the historical railway station, proposals for an innovative, sustainable, and vibrant district with modern forms of housing and building typologies and alternative mobility are sought.
C) An overall strategy should be elaborated for the multifaceted open spaces in the centre of the municipality.
Speichersdorf is looking for participants who deal with the existing build and spatial resources in a respectful and careful manner and develop them further as an example for other small municipalities.

QUESTIONS TO THE COMPETITORS

The festival hall as a building resource: What potentials does the festival hall offer? What uses are possible considering the existing structure of the building? How can the spatial qualities and the special architectural features be further developed conceptually and structurally? How can a revitalization take place with minimal interventions and inexpensive measures?
The railway station site as a building and space resource: How does a future-oriented district with inno- vative living concepts look? What typologies and urban spaces does this interior development require in order to create specific qualities? How can the site give rise to an identify-forming location that links the two parts of the municipality with one another? How can the historical railway station become a lively location once again? How can a mobility hub with attractive areas for spending time be designed?
Open areas as a space resource: What role can the open areas inside the municipality play in the future? What contribution can they make to topics such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, and local food supply? What area potentials can be shown for housing development?

Aerial photograph: Geobasisdaten: Bayrische Vermessungsverwaltung ,© Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung 2025, Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
Other photos: Thomas Müller