Schänzli site: winning project submitted
The voters of Muttenz have repeatedly expressed their desire to transform the Schänzli area from a racecourse into a nature and recreation area. Now the municipality is presenting the implementation proposal as the result of a project study, which is to be further developed and implemented. The "Aqua fera" project by the interdisciplinary planning team Berchtold.Lenzin Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Versaplan GmbH and Holinger AG convinced the jury the most.
For years, the municipality of Muttenz has consistently pursued the strategy of developing settlement and landscape together in the Hagnau-Schänzli area. The electorate honoured this approach and in 2018 approved the three interconnected neighbourhood plans Schänzli, Hagnau East and Hagnau West. “In order to continue the high level of planning care and to tackle an exemplary Schänzli project in terms of design, ecology and water management, we launched a study commission,” explains Thomi Jourdan, municipal councillor and head of the Department of Building Construction and Planning. From October 2022 to March 2023, five selected teams with different experts in the fields of landscape architecture, ecology and hydraulic engineering worked out very different proposals for how the Schänzli could look, function and be maintained in the future. “I am pleased that the jury, in which the municipality was also represented, unanimously chose “Aqua fera” as the most convincing of these projects,” says Jourdan. It was penned by the team Berchtold.Lenzin Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Basel, Versaplan GmbH, Zurich, and Holinger AG, Basel/Bern, and is now to be further developed and implemented. The implementation will be largely financed by a privately agreed infrastructure levy from the Hagnau property owners. The municipality itself took over the 74,000 square metre site from the canton in building rights.
Wild water, nature to be experienced
“Aqua fera” means “wild water” and the name says it all: the project frees the Birs from its tight corset and gives it back as much design freedom as possible. “It’s great that we’re finally getting attractive bathing and play access to the Birs in Muttenz as well,” says Jourdan happily. At the same time, groundwater protection is guaranteed and the needs of the fish are taken into account. For the latter, screened shallow water zones and a low-water channel will be created, among other things, which will ensure their connectivity even in the summer months. “Along this floodplain landscape, different zones are lined up next to each other. Their intensity of use is subtly controlled thanks to cleverly chosen structuring and planting,” Jourdan explains. In the northern part, near the tram loop, a buvette made of rammed earth, WC facilities and an area for small events make a larger number of visitors quite welcome. Towards the south and the “Vogelhölzli” conservation area, their distribution should slowly thin out. This is also ensured by clear visitor guidance, for example via boardwalks and orderly branch piles (“Benjes hedges”). In this way, ecologically valuable areas are protected and fascinating insights into the animal and plant world remain possible despite the nature-dominated area.
Involving the local population
In addition to providing access via the existing bicycle bridge and from the Hagnau sites, a new connection to the Käppeli district could also be created via this hill. But there is still a lot of planning to be done before that can happen. “We will involve the population and interest groups, as we did in the neighbourhood planning process,” Jourdan assures us. As a first step, the municipal council will present the detailed results of the project study to the public on 25 May 2023 and submit a planning credit of CHF 975,000 to the municipal assembly on 13 June 2023.
For years, the municipality of Muttenz has consistently pursued the strategy of developing settlement and landscape together in the Hagnau-Schänzli area. The electorate honoured this approach and in 2018 approved the three interconnected neighbourhood plans Schänzli, Hagnau East and Hagnau West. “In order to continue the high level of planning care and to tackle an exemplary Schänzli project in terms of design, ecology and water management, we launched a study commission,” explains Thomi Jourdan, municipal councillor and head of the Department of Building Construction and Planning. From October 2022 to March 2023, five selected teams with different experts in the fields of landscape architecture, ecology and hydraulic engineering worked out very different proposals for how the Schänzli could look, function and be maintained in the future. “I am pleased that the jury, in which the municipality was also represented, unanimously chose “Aqua fera” as the most convincing of these projects,” says Jourdan. It was penned by the team Berchtold.Lenzin Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Basel, Versaplan GmbH, Zurich, and Holinger AG, Basel/Bern, and is now to be further developed and implemented. The implementation will be largely financed by a privately agreed infrastructure levy from the Hagnau property owners. The municipality itself took over the 74,000 square metre site from the canton in building rights.
Wild water, nature to be experienced
“Aqua fera” means “wild water” and the name says it all: the project frees the Birs from its tight corset and gives it back as much design freedom as possible. “It’s great that we’re finally getting attractive bathing and play access to the Birs in Muttenz as well,” says Jourdan happily. At the same time, groundwater protection is guaranteed and the needs of the fish are taken into account. For the latter, screened shallow water zones and a low-water channel will be created, among other things, which will ensure their connectivity even in the summer months. “Along this floodplain landscape, different zones are lined up next to each other. Their intensity of use is subtly controlled thanks to cleverly chosen structuring and planting,” Jourdan explains. In the northern part, near the tram loop, a buvette made of rammed earth, WC facilities and an area for small events make a larger number of visitors quite welcome. Towards the south and the “Vogelhölzli” conservation area, their distribution should slowly thin out. This is also ensured by clear visitor guidance, for example via boardwalks and orderly branch piles (“Benjes hedges”). In this way, ecologically valuable areas are protected and fascinating insights into the animal and plant world remain possible despite the nature-dominated area.
Involving the local population
In addition to providing access via the existing bicycle bridge and from the Hagnau sites, a new connection to the Käppeli district could also be created via this hill. But there is still a lot of planning to be done before that can happen. “We will involve the population and interest groups, as we did in the neighbourhood planning process,” Jourdan assures us. As a first step, the municipal council will present the detailed results of the project study to the public on 25 May 2023 and submit a planning credit of CHF 975,000 to the municipal assembly on 13 June 2023.