St Gallen (CH)

SITE / CONTEXT

The Ruckhalde is a largely undeveloped area in the west of the city of St.Gallen. It gained historical significance for rail travel through the “Ruckhalde curve”, the narrowest cogwheel curve in the world. With the closure of the above-ground railroad line and its relocation into a tunnel, there is now an opportunity to redefine the vacated terrain and its surroundings.
The majority of the area is owned by the city of St.Gallen, which sees great potential in a development with predominantly residential use of medium to high density. Dealing with the steep topography, the existing green structures and the new tunnel poses challenges for the structural development of the site. On the other hand, the proximity to the city center as well as to large natural areas and the possibility of connecting to existing neighborhoods offer ideal conditions for the development of a new neighborhood with a high proportion of green space and for a broad section of the population.

QUESTIONS TO THE COMPETITORS

The competition aims to examine new and innovative forms of cohabitation. By reactivating existing resources a diverse neighborhood for different population groups - human and non-human - can be negotiated.This includes innovative housing typologies and a differentiated range of open spaces for appropriation.
Connections to existing path networks and a high degree of permeability throughout the site are crucial to integrate the Ruckhalde site development into the existing neighborhood. For an ecologically and socially sustainable, adaptive and well-integrated neighborhood the proposals must go beyond ready-made design solutions and instead focus on processes and strategies for implementation.