Redesign of St. Leonhard-Strasse / Oberer Graben St. Gallen

The St. Leonhard-Strasse and the Obere Graben bear witness to the historic success story of the city of St. Gallen. The representative buildings from Classicism, Art Nouveau and Modernism still define an important urban business district today, featuring central facilities such as Migros, the post office and Manor. Over the past decades, however, this former grand boulevard—once lined with trees and numerous parks—has lost much of its appeal for pedestrians. Wide carriageways for motor traffic and bus operations have displaced strolling, and pedestrians increasingly retreat to quieter parallel streets such as Vadianstrasse or Merkurstrasse.

The redesign concept aims to strengthen the overall streetscape while making the distinct identities of the surrounding quarters more visible. Around the old town, the former moat structures are to be transformed into a green ring. A sequence of existing and new parks with large trees, high-quality designed street spaces (particularly along the Obere Graben), and the private front gardens of the old townhouses all make a significant contribution. Another key element is the redesign of the square in front of the Union building, the future library.

The St. Leonhard-Strasse will be designed as an urban street space with generous pedestrian areas and a deliberately heterogeneous composition of trees forming an avenue.

The cross-connections to the railway station will be strengthened as important elements of the city’s open-space network and integrated with precise design. At intersections, small squares and clearly recognisable places to linger will improve orientation and enhance the overall quality of stay.