MASTERPLAN UNTERBENDERN
YEAR | 2022-2024
CLIENT | Gemeinde Gamprin-Bendern
COLLABORATION | Felix Ledergerber (Salewski Nater Kretz), PVLA , TEAMverkehr
Operating on a territorial scale means uncovering the identity of a place by aligning new requirements with the existing conditions.
Unterbendern is located at the junction of the glacial terrain of Eschnerberg, the River Rhine and two major mobility corridors.
Historically, the neighbourghood of Unterbendern, in the municipality Gamprin-Bendern, has been at the junction of international transit routes. In the last century, it turned into a lifeless junk space filled with parking lots and roundabouts.
In a series of participatory workshops with the inhabitants of Gamprin-Bendern and experts from various fields, we assessed the potentials, needs, and deficits of the area. This process allowed us to propose a plan for developing Unterbendern into a pioneering sustainable development in the Rhine Valley.
We extended the rich and varied context consisting of agricultural, industrial, and settlement areas, cultural and natural monuments, and the glacial terrain onto the site and transformed the transitional elements from burdens into treasures.
The lifeless canal will be transformed into an irrigation system and recreational area. The car bridge will be converted into a pedestrian and bike lane. The street, currently often congested, will become a vibrant central artery filled with life.
Unterbendern will be a "5-minute city": a vibrant mixed-use development with the second-largest public transportation hub at its center. It will be connected to diverse recreational areas and located at the junction of regional cycling routes.
View of the Unterbendern development to the south
We established new connecting elements to foster a revitalisation and exchange between the industrial area, the agricultural area, the historic village core and the natural areas.
View from the "Industrieweg" to the square and church
To do justice to the generation-long development process, we established a framework for sustainability rather than a rigid recipe. This approach allows us to incorporate future learnings and accommodate scientific findings we cannot yet anticipate.
The masterplan was presented to the public in 2024 alongside the unveiling of an "Unterbendern" sign, to mark the beginning of what will be the largest urban development in the country for decades to come.
