Kiellinie – competition for the waterfront promenade decided

On December 4, the city of Kiel decided one of its currently most important urban design issues with a competition: the redesign of its famous Kiellinie. Read here to find out which planning consortium won the competition and what the design envisages.

The city of Kiel wants to redesign its 3.5-kilometer-long waterfront promenade – the Kiellinie. A competition was held under the direction of the Department for Urban Development, Construction and the Environment. The high-caliber jury included Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer and City Planning Councillor Doris Grondke. Of the 15 national and international consortiums, 14 submitted a design. The planning consortium consisting of Studio RW with ArcStudio Wessendorf and Plancontrol emerged as the winner.

The Kiellinie runs along the western shore of the Kiel Fjord in the Düsternbrook district. Over the last hundred years, it has developed into a popular place to stroll and linger. It is therefore one of Kiel’s most popular recreational areas. Flanked by some prominent buildings, public and private spaces for a wide variety of uses are lined up here. In addition to gastronomic offerings and almost all of Kiel’s water sports clubs, the representative office of the state government of Schleswig-Holstein and facilities of Kiel University are also located here. The most prominent event is certainly the “Kiel Week”, which has now become one of the world’s largest sailing events. A large public festival accompanies the event. The Kiellinie is a place of identity for citizens, an attraction for tourists and an indispensable part of everyday life in Kiel. It is therefore used intensively by people of all ages.

The aim is to develop into a modern and international waterfront city. The Kiellinie is also to be modernized as a flagship of the city. For this reason, an open space planning and urban development concept was sought for the redesign of the 3.5-kilometre-long waterfront promenade with versatile and intergenerational play, sports and recreation areas. It goes without saying that the aspects of sustainability and resource conservation as well as climate protection and climate impact adaptation had to be considered in their full scope. A coherent overall concept was to combine the following complex requirements:

• Attractive mobility options
• Accessibility on land and partly on the water
• Increasing the quality of stay, use and design
• Linking urban and scenic spaces
• Preservation and further development of existing green and open spaces
• Creation of legible entrance situations
• Flood protection
• More bathing opportunities
• Improvement of pedestrian and bicycle traffic
• Identification of the Kiellinie as an event location
• Integration of gastronomy at different price levels
• Expansion of supply and disposal infrastructure (e.g. public toilets)

However, the modernization around the Kiellinie is accompanied by intensive debates. The competition was initially preceded by an integrated urban development concept. Public participation involved citizens in the planning process. As a result, instead of the original procedure, two equally valid variants for the Kiellinie Nord – with and without motor vehicle traffic – were requested in the competition. The decision as to which variant will be realized will now be made by the council.

With a view to climate neutrality, the competition winner proposes a “real laboratory for climate protection”. The design is intended to be a model for sustainable urban development. The principles of refuse (avoid), reduce (reduce), reuse (reuse), recycle (recycle) and rot (rot) are pursued. Closed material cycles, water retention, resource management, regenerative local energy generation, climate-resilient planting for research purposes, the principle of regionality and local cooperation are used.

The mix of uses is both visionary and courageously combined, according to Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer. The design recognizes the genius loci – instead of a classic inner city promenade, the Kiellinie is rightly interpreted more as an urban leisure strip. Water, sky and the fjord slope form the color and material concept in blue and green tones. There are also yellow accents. The Kiellinie itself and its access areas are also designed to be barrier-free. The promenade will also always run alongside the water’s edge. This means you can continue to enjoy the view of the fjord to the east. A wide range of seating options invites you to do so. A slab of recycled concrete colored by algae symbolizes the line of the keel.

As a framework for the planning area, it also defines the adjacent uses along the promenade. The strip integrates furniture, sports and play facilities as well as tree locations. At key points, it also expands into plazas. The pedestrian promenade, cycle path and road are differentiated. The branching network of paths structures the green spaces. This results in versatile spaces with different reference points and qualities. The southern entrance area, for example, provides the prelude to an attractive square with restaurants, mobility points and generous seating. The northern Kiellinie is conceived as a boulevard along the water. A mobility station and the bus loop then form the northern end of the competition area. The “Förderlandschaft” nature playground is also planned in front of the orchid meadow.

It is also important that the Schwanenwiese is preserved. The Reventlouwiese will be expanded into an excitingly modeled meadow park – with beach volleyball courts in the middle. The surrounding areas offer play and sunbathing areas. The extensive area can be used for multifunctional events. The equipment elements in this section can be dismantled. The gravel lawn between the meadow and the path can be used as a set-up area for temporary structures. A new bathing area invites visitors to take a dip in the fjord. The Bellevue bridge as a jetty integrates further swimming opportunities. Bernhard-Harms-Platz will retain its dual function as an event location and parking lot. In the Bellevue area, the cycle path and the road lead inland so that a new space can also be created there.

The planning competition is a major milestone. As a preliminary design with a coherent overall concept, the winning entry will now be brought to implementation maturity in a multi-stage planning process. And, of course, the public will also continue to help shape their open space. We can look forward to it.

You can find out more about the new Kiellinie here at kiel.de.

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