Concepts for the Future Use of the Maria Rast Meadows in St. Michael
Open space and landscape
Build where building has taken place. Keep what is needed. Replace what is necessary
The great potential of the Maria Rast meadows lies in the site’s distinctive natural setting and its particular position within the municipality. The walled garden is a park, a Garden of Eden, a retreat for everyone. The surrounding wall protects the site and creates a clear separation between natural space and the surrounding streets, between inside and outside.
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The walls are therefore retained and opened at only a few precisely placed points in order to weave the new neighbourhood into its surroundings and integrate it into the municipality’s network of paths. The newly planned access road creates a link between the village centre and the bypass and relieves the Maria Rast Weg, which in future will only serve as the access to the commercial zone. This allows the commercial zone to expand across the road onto the competition site.
The generous open spaces are retained and complemented by carefully placed infrastructure such as benches, paths and lighting. Freely accessible spaces for movement emerge, embedded in a mix of park, woodland and meadows. The existing watercourse is integrated into the landscape. The park contains paths, meadows, woodland playgrounds, fountains, benches, kickabout pitches and lighting. Individual areas are designated as community gardens. The spaces between the buildings are upgraded, planted and thinned out where necessary.
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Forms of housing and services
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The aim is to mix affordable housing, private housing and integrative housing on the site. The chosen modular system in timber construction allows easy adaptation to different spatial programmes as well as simple subsequent changes to floor plans and uses.
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The open spaces are enhanced with site-specific Mediterranean planting. Flower meadows, grasses and sedges as well as ferns in the clearings create habitats for flora and fauna. Spruce, Scots pine, hop hornbeam, large-leaved lime, rowan and ash complement or replace the existing trees.
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The site becomes a home for its future residents and a leisure centre for the people of Eppan. A sports hall on the new village square, which also serves as an events venue and market hall, a small local shop and a restaurant, a social meeting place, the extension of the kindergarten and an exhibition hall with an outdoor area further strengthen this role.
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Mobility
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Traffic is routed via the new access road into a large underground car park beneath the village square. From there, several exits in the surrounding buildings lead to all the apartments, workplaces and leisure facilities.
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The focus, however, is on pedestrians and cyclists, who can move freely and safely throughout the site. The new village square at the heart of the neighbourhood invites people to linger, offers space for residents and visitors, and is used and animated in a variety of ways by the new sports and multi-purpose hall.
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All the houses can be reached for deliveries via the access roads, which are deliberately laid out slightly wider. Parking in these areas is only possible for short periods; afterwards all vehicles must be left in the parking spaces specifically provided. The spatial separation of car and home encourages residents to use their bicycles more often, and the spaces in between are enhanced rather than filled with parked cars. A visitor car park is designated in the underground garage but could also be built above ground in the area of the new access road.
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The regional road network is complemented and relieved by the new access road. The surrounding wall protects the Maria Rast site from noise, dirt and the hazards of motorised traffic. The zone is ideally connected to the existing public bus routes.
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Socio-cultural concerns
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Alongside the new sports hall, the small restaurant, the kindergarten extension and the new exhibition space in the old vehicle sheds, children’s playgrounds, kickabout pitches, water play areas, park benches, meadows and woodland areas are created.
Maria Rast becomes a place for living, working and celebrating together.
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