TOPOTEK 1 has been awarded with the 1st prize in the competition for the design of the Bremen waterfront “Stadtstrecke”.
The task of the competition was the renewal of the protective flood bank along the inner-city waterfront, which sought both a technical infrastructure as well as a convincing urban planning and open space solution. As such, the Topotek 1 design, a part from its pure functionality, the wall for the flood protection is conceived as a multi-dimensional and sensory space that offers views into the historic old town of Bremen. Through topographical intervention, new, urban and at the same time green, multifunctional areas are created over a length of 1.8 kilometres on varying levels of the floodwater protection wall.
The sculptural character of the flood protection system gives the waterfront a modern and contemporary aesthetic that offers recreational opportunities as well as an invitation to linger or as an event space. The uniform material use of concrete in the horizontal elements, and grey granite in the vertical elements for the 1.8 kilometre entirety, enforces the perception of a continuous ensemble. While the diverse forms of the terraces on differing levels within this ensemble reflect the dynamics of the river and its tides. The gentle rhythm of different forms in the design mirror the natural course of the river, reflected in elements such as the metamorphosis between the greenish-brown stone of the floodwater wall, the green areas and the concrete steps and varying heights.
On February 10th , 2017, TOPOTEK 1’s reviewed proposal was awarded with the 1st prize and selected for the realisation. The jury commented: “TOPOTEK 1’s design convinced a very clear majority of the jury board through its generous steps on the Beck ‘s river banks and along the Piepe, connecting the urban upper level and the lower water level. More generally, the jury paid tribute to a design related to the waterfront as well as to the urban space.”
Image Credits | TOPOTEK1