Kranzgasse 18/5B, 1150 Vienna, Austria
project image
Walsall Waterfront
Walsall / England - first prize
The project site is characterized by two very different spatial qualities: With its southern border connected to the canal and its northern edge linking up with a main traffic artery it is about connectivity and exposure just as much as it is about calm plazas facing the waterfront. Focusing on this polarity the design suggests a two-fold strategy. Firstly, the building envelope is designed such that it effectively delineates the two aforementioned domains without preventing a fluent circulation throughout the site. This allows for fostering both qualities independent from one another, to credibly co-exist on a confined area. Secondly, the strands constituting the urban form react to the varying local conditions. While traversing the site in one continuous movement they adopt to the varying urban conditions in section: Façade inclinations, building depth and window area constantly get adjusted to support the given urban condition.