Bern: Development of the Wifag site takes the next step
The development plan for the Wifag site and the adjacent Leinenweberei weaving mill is open to the public. The plan is to build a mixed-use district.
The landowners of the former Wifag machine factory and the linen weaving mill in Bern's Wylerquartier in the Breitenrain-Lorraine district would like to develop the site into a neighborhood section in three stages. The development plan, which is still open to the public until July 14, allows for the construction of around 360 residential units, a third of which will be affordable. A new development plan is necessary because the Wifag site is currently located in the industrial and commercial zone.
The 27,000 square meter area is bordered by the SBB tracks of the Bern-Zurich railroad line, to the east by Scheibenstrasse, to the south by Wylerringstrasse and to the west by Wylerstrasse. The landowners are Mali International AG, Leinenweberei Bern AG and the City of Bern.
Predominantly residential use planned
As can be seen from the explanatory report on the development plan, the aim is to create a broad mix of apartments. Neighborhood-related uses are planned for the first floors of the buildings. At least 80% of the area will be reserved for residential use, with the remaining 20% earmarked for work-related uses.
The urban design by the Salewski & Kretz team envisages a structure of individual buildings with different shapes and dimensions that are connected by outdoor spaces. There are to be no high-rise buildings.
In the half of the site west of the Kranbahn, four to six new buildings occupy the southern or northern edge. Together they form an elongated, well-sunlit "residential courtyard". To the east of the Kranbahn, where the site has more depth, an additional slender row for a residential building - "Wohnen im Wohnhof" - is inserted centrally between the peripheral buildings. Further to the east is the "Wifag-Hof", followed by the linen weaving mill, which will be partially demolished. The basements, particularly of the western building, are mainly used for parking.
The canteen, the Wifag and Leinenweberei villas and the 1922 part of the Leinenweberei building will be retained and converted and in some cases extended or added to. The other halls and their large-scale peripheral buildings, on the other hand, will be demolished. (ah)
