B448 Obertshausen: competition decided

After more than 40 years of spatial separation by the B448 federal highway, the town of Obertshausen launched a competition in July 2022 to resolve this situation. At the end of the process, Cologne-based rethmeierschlaich architekten and Rabe Landschaften from Hamburg won over the jury. Read more here.

The Hessian village of Obertshausen faces a particular spatial challenge. The four-lane B448 federal highway cuts through the middle of the village. This unusual situation has existed since the districts of Hausen and Obertshausen were merged in 1977 as part of the Hessian regional reform. After more than 40 years of spatial separation, the town launched a competition in July 2022 to resolve the situation. In addition to improved networking, the focus was also on inner densification and the creation of new living space. This is because Obertshausen is only a half-hour S-Bahn ride away from Frankfurt am Main. The town is therefore part of the catchment area of the Großer Frankfurter Bogen initiative. This initiative has set itself the task of taking action against the pressure to settle in the big city within a 30-minute radius of the Main metropolis. On the one hand, by creating more affordable living space. On the other hand, by preserving valuable recreational areas and protecting them from urban development.

Obertshausen is one of a total of 39 municipalities participating in the initiative. Forests, meadows and floodplains, which act as recreational areas, surround the town. Consequently, the competition envisaged inner-city development. Where today the B448 dominates the space, the organizers and residents hope to develop a common town center after years of separation. Eleven entries were submitted in the first phase, six of which qualified for further processing in the second phase. At the end of the process, Cologne-based rethmeierschlaich architekten and Rabe Landschaften from Hamburg won over the jury. The planners focused on both urban and green qualities and staged an urban and a landscape axis. The design is divided into four phases based on the ownership of the plots.

In principle, the concept envisages the reoccupation of the intersection with public uses, creating a joint urban center for the districts of Hausen and Obertshausen. To achieve this, the design sets out a number of key design principles. For example, the architects are focusing on a development with small-scale businesses and the construction of a new library as an urban edge to the square. They also propose a multifunctional market square and a “place of play”, including a skate park. In addition to the urban center, a natural corridor will be created along the B448. Existing woodland along the road will be extended to form a forest park. In future, it will take on ecological functions and provide retention areas. At the same time, it will serve as a recreational area close to residential areas. To this end, uses such as playgrounds, pavilions and activity areas are integrated into the forest park at the intersections. The northern part of the new green space will also feature sports fields and playgrounds, as well as orchards and tree trails.

The main road itself is to be converted back into a two-lane urban road. Furthermore, numerous crossing options for cyclists and pedestrians are planned. The design also proposes a cycle highway through the forest park. It is to become the backbone of the urban infrastructure instead of the previously dominant road. The authors emphasize for their design: “The car is only a guest here”. This also applies to the new residential quarter, which is planned to the north opposite the wooded area. Access there will also be via a cycle path. Motorized traffic, on the other hand, is only planned as one-way traffic. Instead, mobility hubs in the entrance areas of the quarter are intended to encourage people to change vehicles. In the south, townhouses complete the overall design.

After winning the competition, the first prize awarded to rethmeierschlaich architekten and Rabe Landschaften now serves as the basis for further urban planning. The task now is to incorporate the jury’s points of criticism. The jury also recommended setting up a project-related design advisory board. In the future, the competition design could actually create a high-quality and dense city center from the B448 federal road that currently divides the city.

Read more: A competition was also held for the Ludwigsfeld housing estate in Munich.