OVERALL CONCEPT
The new look of downtown Knittelfeld is defined by wide, generous pedestrian areas. Like a large open-air shopping mall, strolling and shopping become an experience. Dividing the space into sub-spaces creates a wide variety of situations that offer different uses (outdoor dining, market stalls, meeting points, shady places to spend time). Seating, from benches with armrests and backrests for older people to large decks for sitting and lounging, forms islands in the street that invite people to linger. They are accompanied by green areas and trees and serve as places to rest and meet. They are also important non-commercial places to spend time in the town center. There is a break in the paving between the roadway and the pedestrian areas. A wide edging strip separates the sidewalk from the asphalt roadway at the same level. The asphalt is colored to match the paving to create a unified urban space despite the separation by the edging. Special attention was paid to creating as many crossings of the roadway as possible with regard to parked cars. The location of the parking spaces was optimized accordingly. The entrance to the town center at Kapuzinerplatz is made recognizable as a plaza. The monotonous parking lot gets a change of paving and is additionally fitted with trees and green elements. Events can take place here temporarily.
MAIN SQUARE
The main square is decluttered and clearly organized. It is once again perceived as a unified square at the heart of Knittelfeld. The wish for an outdoor living room was met by creating different areas for a wide range of uses. In front of the buildings are wide, clear promenade paths that provide space for movement and deliveries. Dividing the square into different sub-spaces creates manageable situations with the character of places to spend time while maintaining a unified effect. Open areas for events and markets alternate with places to retreat and smaller-scale situations. Thanks to the uniform paving, temporary closures to traffic create the impression of a unified square or pedestrian zone.
View of the main square
