Essay by Kees Christiaanse in De Architect June 2013: station areas

Happy to see a new addition that implements our urban vision for Europaallee in Zurich! A new and iconic pedestrian overpass crossing the track field near Zurich's main railway station opened earlier this month. The infrastructure is named Negrellisteg after Alois Negrelli, builder of the first Swiss railway between Zurich and Baden, which opened in 1847. The project was designed by “ARGE Negrellisteg”, a consortium composed by Conzett Bronzini Partner AG, Chur, Diggelmann + Partner AG, Bern and 10:8 Architekten Gmbh, Zurich on commission of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB and the City of Zurich. The architects and engineers delivered an elegant, light steel construction that discreetly blends into the heterogeneous, busy environment. Crossing the overpass offers the users a new urban experience with unique viewpoints on the tracks, inviting to explore the neighbouring quarters sustainably by walking. The bridge was designed as an open path, emerging from the quarters in a spiral form that leads seamlessly into the bridgework. This continuous form is bordered by a transparent metal railing that allows marvelous perspectives as wide as possible. Negrellisteg has an important function for Zurich. It connects two previously hardly related city districts that have undergone massive changes in recent decades. One of these is Europaallee, the redevelopment of the station area into a mixed-use urban quarter by KCAP that attracts more people to work and live in the city. Urban development interventions are also imminent in District 5. The pedestrian overpass by ARGE Negrellisteg implements KCAP's vision of co-existence behind the masterplan for Europaallee, where 4 of these connections are foreseen to boost the accessibility and relationship between the various districts.   Bridge construction/architecture:ARGE "Negrellisteg"Conzett Bronzini Partner AG, ChurDiggelmann + Partner AG, Berne10:8 Architekten Gmbh, Zurich Client: Swiss Federal Railways SBB and City of Zurich, Civil Engineering Office Photography: René Dürr  

Last Thursday, an Urban Gardening event took place at Europaallee. Various vegetables and herbs were planted earlier and were now ready to be harvested. The public was invited to help harvesting and learn about the different species that are being cultivated there. At the end of the day, a fresh salad was prepared with the greens. It was a nice event for both adults and children. Especially the latter ones where very keen to help preparing the food.Europaallee is the area around Zurich’s main railway station which is being transformed into a new lively urban quarter based on KCAP’s masterplan.  

The development of Europaallee Zurich in the coming years, based on KCAP's masterplan for the area, is now shown in a 3d movie. Click here to view the animation by Europaallee.

The  exhibition 'Constructing Text' at the Swiss Architecture Museum S AM highlights various projects to show how architecture can be spoken and written about. KCAP's masterpplan Europaalle Zurich is one of the selected examples. The exhibition can be seen until February 22nd. Address: Steinenberg 7, CH-4051 Basel Click here for more information.

KCAP is proud to be included with 2 projects in the Yearbook Landscape Architecture and Urban Design 2014. With FredericiaC in the category 'the innovative city' and with OZ Nature Urbaine Montpellier in 'station areas'.

Kees Christiaanse together with Benedikt Boucsein and Christian Salewski are the authors of an article within the topic 'Station and airport in the city' of S+RO 2014/05. [[file:sro201405]]

In Montpellier the construction of the infrastructure for the realisation of KCAP's masterplan OZ Nature-Urbaine has started. The first progression of the infrastructure bindle building process is visible and gives an impression of the new TGV station site.

Kees Christiaanse contributes to the current issue of Dutch monthly De Architect about station areas with his essay: 'Europe by train' (Europa per spoor).De Architect: 'In his article Kees Christiaanse examines in detail the German and French approach to developing a network of high speed trains. He concludes that the implementation of high-speed lines does not compete with other modes of transport such as cars and aircraft, but supplemts them. It is up to the traveler to find the right combination of modes of transport.'  [[file:1306dearchitect]] 

KCAP Architects&Planners in collaboration with landscape architects ILEX and sustainability advisor Oasiis are selected for the development of the area Quartier Gare TGV.  The commission, chaired by Jean-Pierre Moure, President of Montpellier Agglomeration, has appointed KCAP’s design after a 6 months competitive dialogue procedure with international three candidates including team Christian de Portzamparc (France) and team Daniel Libeskind (USA). The development called ‘Oz Montpellier Nature Urbaine’ is one of the ‘grand projets’ of the Montepellier Agglomeration and comprises of a 350 ha area around the future TGV station to be built in the south of the city. The area will develop in a mixed urban district with 5.000 residences, parks and gardens, commercial and recreation facilities and a business area of European scale with 350,000 m² of offices. As it expands between the city of Montpellier, the airport and the Mediterranean Sea it involves as well the future high-speed railway line LGV between Montpellier and Nimes and the new motorway A9. ‘In order to direct this development in a sustainable way over a long period, we have designed a strong underlying framework of public spaces with the landscape as an important base and driver. This framework, that carefully incorporates the new infrastructure, allows for a phased development that is open for change, but that creates a strong identity at the same time,’ says Kees Christiaanse. Validation of the masterplan is estimated in the summer of 2013. The first offices should be delivered in late 2017.