Reininghausplatz Graz/Austria

As one of the central open spaces of the Reininghaus quarter in Graz, the square is of essential importance for linking east and west with open space. The task at hand is to integrate it smoothly and naturally into the surrounding urban fabric and still find a characteristic and identity-shaping design for it. The square, which is spacious in relation to the surrounding buildings, is scaled and structured by a permeable framework of planted areas and “slender” trees. Along Alte Poststraße with its heavy traffic, the green areas will be populated with correspondingly taller plants and the square on this side will be spatially defined and set apart from traffic. The centre of the square will be covered by a light and loose canopy of umbrella-crowned and pinnate-leaved trees. Generously inviting entrances lead to the square from all directions. Lushly planted rainwater beds along the edges of the square will ensure a sustainable handling of rainfall.