Square

The rehabilitation of Chambésy station square defines new access to the old village, as part of a wider renovation project of the railways undertaken by the Swiss Federal Railways (CFF). The intervention aims to restore a space that for fifteen years served as a parking lot and for CFF facilities. The reappropriation of this neglected space is part of the political strategy of promoting soft mobility and encourages residents to use the train. On the edge of the new train station square, the project integrates the renovation of an old cottage building, which becomes part of a spatial sequence connecting the train stop to the historic village.

Through the reconfiguration of its surrounding square, the Cathedral is restored as an imposing presence within the Cologne skyline and liberated from the layers of the edifice that have been superimposed for decades. The overall strategy for the Cathedral environment results from an urban planning competition initiated by the City of Cologne.

The regeneration and extension of a late 19th Century Terrace. The site comprised a set of five late 19th Century terraced houses and an unused space to the rear of the houses which previously contained their back gardens. The houses form the interface between two urban types; A historical main street relating to Dundrum Village to the front and a modern food & beverage district to the rear. Through time, the houses had become lost in ‘no man’s land’ through lack of a viable use and sat vacant and degrading. Careful refurbishment, amalgamation, and extension have brought them into the next chapter of their life as a food hall, restaurant, and a new public square.

Pangandaran is a town on the south coast of West Java with a population of 420.000 people in 2020, locally known for its beach and nature tourism. Paamprokan square is part of Governor Ridwan Kamil’s priority public space programs for West Java. ‘Paamprokan’ means ‘to gather’ in Sundanese. This public space is an example of a public-private synergy with a developer. To gain direct access from the beach road to their property area through government-owned land, the developer donated the construction of the square. 

In 2016, the City Council of Panevėžys agreed on a major renovation of the main city square. The main idea was to create an open space, encouraging the citizens of Panevėžys to engage in outdoor activities. The pre-existing condition of the square was not compatible with the dynamic vision of the 21st-century European city. Having access to Rail Baltica railway allows the city to position itself as a strong regional center with good business opportunities and high-level quality of life standards for all residents.

Residents of Warsaw can now enjoy a new public space in the center of Warsaw. Before, it was a busy junction not at all resident-friendly. Now, a square has been created there, with 22 maples, urban furniture, and pedestrian priority. WXCA is responsible for the design. This fragment of the city has been one of the busiest places in the capital for over 100 years. Since the 1960s, mostly vehicle traffic encroached into this space, slowly pushing pedestrians out, although they still constituted a significant portion of those traveling through it. This space recently underwent a spectacular metamorphosis and a pedestrian priority urban square with mature trees and modern small architecture elements was designed here. Vehicle traffic has been reduced to public transport and it has resident and fire service access only. “Most of all, we wanted to hand this part of the city over to the residents,” the architects at WXCA explained.

The village of Cabbio is located on the eastern side of the Valle Di Muggio and has developed along the hillside, adapting to the conformation of the land. The square of Cabbio is located at the end of the village, overlooked by the San Salvatore’s Church, the entire complex is a cultural asset protected at the cantonal level, the entire Cabbio village is registered in the “Inventario degli insediamenti svizzeri da proteggere” (ISOS).

Plaza San Pedro, in Villaverde del Río, is located outside the southern edge of the historic center and is crossed by one of the pedestrian arteries that articulate the urban fabric, Avenida de Santa Teresa. It joins two important areas: the historic center and the San Sebastián neighbourhood, the first major expansion of Villaverde del Río during the 20th century. This site offers unbeatable potential as a meeting point for citizens.