RUNNER UP

WEIZ ARCHIPELAGO

Team Description: The city of Weiz is situated in the productive landscape of Weiz-Gleisdorf, a complex system of diverse spaces, demanding a holistic planning approach. With the construction of the new mobility axis (ODF), Gleisdorfer Straße loses its function as the city’s main transit route. This change in meaning has to be seen as an opportunity for the contiguous neighborhoods.
No longer a transit space, a set of emerging topics can be tackled to transform the area. The creation of public space is a starting point for future development. The goal of this process is to create a manifold part of town, whose neighborhoods are connected by two linear elements: a transformed street and streetscape and a continuous park along Weizbach. Thereby this area takes a special role in the productive landscape.”

Jury Statement: “The jury appreciates unanimously the analysis of the existing heterogeneous urban fabric through the atlas of islands. The project is understood as an urban planning proposal on a long-term scale, with a broader focus.  Archipelagos’ strength is its dealing with nature and the southern part of the project area. There, especially the emphasis on the flooding issue becomes apparent and is formulated as integral part of the project, which convinces the jury.”

Team Statement: "We are very happy to have been awarded as runners-up for Weiz, as we enjoyed to work with the site very much. A street as a project site seemed challenging at first but it soon showed that especially this challenge lead us to a wide variety of topics to work with. The back and forth between research- and design-phases, the finding of “beauty” in unusual places and a way of reading and finally somehow understanding the urban patterns of the whole region were rich findings which we will use in upcoming projects."