+ BESUCHER UND INFORMATIONSTZENTRUM IN TODTNAU

What was particularly appealing for us in this competition, and ultimately motivated us to participate, was its unique location: On the one hand, the competition site is characterised by two very distinct urban spaces, the administrative city centre with relatively large-scale, representative buildings such as the town hall and primary school, and to the North the Freiburger Straße with its small-scale development. On the other hand, the site presents itself as a gentle landscape, criss-crossed by a footpath of a rather informal character, with a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains.

Based on these impressions, we have developed the our contribution as a landscape project, which, however, fits into the urban situation with two very clearly defined building volumes.

The larger of the two volumes is oriented towards the open space behind the primary school and encloses it; here the Visitor and Information Centre faces the city and welcomes the arriving guests. The smaller volume initially continues the development of Freiburger Straße seamlessly. In between lies a roof and slope landscape on which a - barrier-free - path winds its way from Freiburger Straße down to the town hall.

As a consequence, three urban spaces are created, each of which has a very different character and yet is connected - via the landscape - and merges into one another: the large but enclosed open space with playground between the school, town hall and visitor centre; the town hall square, which rises in an ascending landscape with seating steps as a gathering area and landscape garden to the rear façade of Freiburger Straße (and with the potential relocation of the fire brigade offers many points of connection for further development); and finally the very open roofscape with an unobstructed view of the Hasenhorn and the surrounding Black Forest. This roofscape can be overlooked from the Freiburger Straße through the opening in the development and invites visitors to let their gaze wander further. In accordance with the exhibition concept, it is to be designed as a botany area and will be accessed from the upper exhibition floor, but also directly from Freiburger Straße and the footpath. An almost secret, fourth urban or rather green space will be created between the roofscape and the buildings to the west - it will be planted as a garden and can be discovered via the roofscape and the large openings at the beginning of the exhibition tour.