The team of CITYFÖRSTER architecture + urbanism and FELIXX Landscape Architects & Planners, supported by freiwurf LA and R+T Traffic Planning, is selected for the development of Dietenbach, a new urban district of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. This new district – currently one of the biggest urban developments in Germany – is located at the edge of the city center, covering an area of 100ha, supposed to house up to 14.000 inhabitants in 5.500 new dwellings.
Out of 28 high-profile international teams, 4 teams are selected and commissioned to elaborate their plans. The other selected teams are Studio Wessendorf with Atelier Loidl Landschaftsarchitekten, K9 Architekten with Latz + Partners, Hosoya Schaefer Architects with Agence Ter.
Freiburg consists out of a collection well-defined districts with a distinct identity. Many of them are surrounded and separated from each other by linear landscape structures, such as the Dreisam River or major infrastructure routes. The proposal of CITYFÖRSTER + FELIXX aims to reverse this principle in Dietenbach. Instead of adding a new independent piece of a city surrounded by green spaces, the landscape structure is pulled right through the heart of the new district. This creates various small, diverse neighborhoods, organized by powerful green corridors. Together with a new tram line and excellent bike and pedestrian routes, the green lifelines connect Dietenbach to the surrounding quarters and the center of Freiburg.
The new urban district should not be understood as a residential settlement at the outskirts of the city, but as an interconnected urban district. Therefore the plan of CITYFÖRSTER + FELIXX builds on an ambitious integrating spatial system, to create a spectacular variety of urban conditions: high and low density areas, mixed-use city blocks and landscape related housing areas, vivid mix of housing types and apartment sizes, a miniature river delta, a compacted agriculture corridor, a lush yet monumental boulevard, a collection of distinctive district squares, interconnected slow traffic networks and an integrated school campus providing shared sport- and play facilities. Condensed and superimposed, all these structures create a lively urban district. A diversity of relations between built and outdoor program generate an enormous variety of environments to live, work and recreate. Dietenbach gets very pronounced character, while deliberately integrating itself into the overall urban structure of Freiburg.
Urban design competition for the new urban district of Freiburg/Dietenbach
Location | Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Client | City of Freiburg im Breisgau
Status | won tender; in progress
Team | Cityförster architecture + urban design, felixx landscape architects & planners, R + T engineers Traffic planner, IMG+ visualizers
Images © Felixx/Cityförster/IMG+
