A new start for Rother Neuland: winning design

The largest urban development project in Roth near Nuremberg in recent decades is progressing. This is the conversion of the disused Leoni factory site into the so-called Rother Neuland. This year, the city launched an urban development and open space planning competition for this project. The winning design has now been chosen.

Let’s transform the derelict industrial site into the vibrant Rother Neuland district of the future! Roth has been receiving funding for this project from the Bavarian State Ministry of Housing, Building and Transport as part of the “Landstadt Bayern” program since 2022. Furthermore, there was an enthusiastically received citizen participation at the beginning of this year. This crystallized the most important issues, such as mobility and ecology. The site also has a special location. It is located in the city center. At seven hectares, it is also located between the train station and the market square and next to two watercourses. The team of SCHIRMER Architekten + Stadtplaner, planetz Architektenpartnerschaft and deBuhr LA Landschaftsarchitektur has now emerged as the winner. So how was the “klimaPARKquartier” design convincing?

The development of the Rother Neuland area will take place over a long period of time. The basic structure is therefore robust. But there will be sufficient flexible scope for development. The jury praised the appropriately dense building structure. Towards the city center, the quarter presents itself with an urban atmosphere of enclosed spaces and block structures. The adjoining residential courtyards, on the other hand, have a garden city character. To the north-east is a spacious, open entrance.

The private site will become a public landscape park. The Rother Neuland concept envisages development in the middle of the site. To this end, it will be embedded in a broad, continuous strip of landscape. Spatial and visual references give the castle, the Kulturfabrik and watercourses new value in the urban fabric. Instead of a caesura, there is now a connection between the city, the Rednitzinsel and the surrounding landscape areas. The design continues the existing ecologically and recreationally valuable landscape structures. “The generous green spaces and additional tree planting make a very good contribution to improving the climate in the surrounding urban districts,” said the jury. Air exchange is also taken into account. The meadows are also flood zones and the paved areas are drainable. The more detailed handling of the groundwater near the surface will be interesting in the future. The issue of contaminated sites is also a concern for everyone involved.

In addition to the natural spaces, the architectural history of the site also remains legible. To create the identity of Roth’s new territory, parts of the building fabric will be preserved (e.g. three-arched hall, gatehouse). However, their integration not only preserves the character of the site. It also allows gray energy to be used.

A lively urban quarter needs a mix of uses. In order to bring working and living closer together, the winning team is planning low-emission production processes and digitalized forms of work. On the other hand, they are creating social and cultural offerings in Roth’s new district.

Another exemplary use of resources can be seen in the sustainable development concept. The infrastructure is based on the existing buildings. To this end, a car-free or car-poor urban quarter is being created. To this end, a large garage is planned at the entrance to the district as a mobility center. In contrast, public transport, mobility stations and sharing services will be expanded in the interior of the district. The design also creates a large inner passageway and links with the surrounding area.

The seven competition results will be on display in the Roths culture factory until July 28, 2023. The city council has already commissioned the planning team to update the design. The results of an online survey as part of the “Landstadt Bayern” project must be taken into account in the further planning process.

The “Dancing Couples’ Quarter” is also located in a former industrial area on the Erni site in Switzerland. The special feature: Studio Vulkan, together with KCAP, are designing a space in the development based on the sponge city principle.