Bern: Competition for Viererfeld/Mittelfeld is decided
The competition for Bern's major urban development project Viererfeld/Mittelfeld has been completed. The winners were the VIF_2 and Ensemble_2 projects.
The project VIF_2 of the team Ammann Albers StadtWerke (urban design), Raderschallpartner (landscape architecture), Huggenbergerfries Architekten (architecture), Basler & Hoffmann (mobility) and Zeugin.Gölker. Immobilienstrategien (social) took first place in both "urban design" and "urban district park". It envisages two diagonal axes that would form the "backbone" of the new quarter and provide a good basic structure, especially for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, the city of Bern informs. The fact that the project carefully continues to build on the existing city can be seen, for example, in the Mittelfeld area, where - in contrast to most other projects - it deliberately dispenses with high-rise buildings around the Burgerspittel.
The project Ensemble_2 by ARGE Pan M GmbH & Martin Dubach ETH (new: Gud Architekten), Carolin Riede Landschaftsarchitektin, Ballmer + Partner, Bernhard Böhm and Nils Güttler won in the "Residential" category. It provides for different house types and thus creates a diverse urban neighborhood. In addition, it is characterized by a skilful handling of different housing typologies and usage requirements, according to a statement by the city of Bern. In addition to Ensemble_2, five other projects will be ranked in the "Residential" category and considered for further processing.
The result of the competition now forms the basis for the next steps: A master plan is to be drawn up by the end of 2019, on the basis of which a call for tenders will then be issued for the sale of the building sites under building law. On the Viererfeld site, half of the developers are to be non-profit, while on the Mittelfeld site the aim is to achieve an even higher proportion. It has not yet been decided whether the city will participate in a housing cooperative or realize a housing project on its own.
In about two years at the earliest, Bern's voters will be able to decide on the transfer of building land under building law and on investment loans for the infrastructure facilities, the district park and the school infrastructure. The earliest possible start of construction is 2023. (ah)
