Urban District Weyermannshaus, Berne

As a sub-area of the Chantiers Ausserholligen, the centrally located Weyermannshaus West site is to be transformed from an industrial area into a mixed-use neighborhood combining residential, work, and service functions.

The main ideas of the test planning contribution are the seamless integration with the existing Looslistrasse quarter and the gradual yet fundamental renewal of the area. Its very central and scenically attractive location calls for urban density and a strong mix of uses. Furthermore, the existing structure—with large halls that are difficult to repurpose—poses an economic barrier to steady, qualitative densification. The focus is therefore on merging with the existing neighborhood and enhancing the entire area through connectivity and new amenities (green spaces, local supply, educational and cultural offerings, public transport). The neighborhood park, as a complement to the adjacent outdoor swimming facility, the plazas, garden streets, and parallel residential lanes form the finely detailed and robust urban framework for long-term neighborhood development and natural integration into the surroundings.

Within this urban framework, a dense and diverse neighborhood will emerge, capable of accommodating many facets of living and working, such as atelier clusters, principles of the productive city, communal family living, or assisted living. In the entire northern part of the quarter, space remains for commercial uses. Public functions are arranged on the ground floors around the plazas—Train Station Plaza, Neighborhood Playground, Murtenstrasse Gateway Plaza, and Neighborhood Park. The existing identity-defining shed hall at the park has been repurposed as a cultural factory, providing an ideal foundation for creative use.