Appraisal procedure
The Johannisvorstadt
Two new neighbourhoods are being built along Bahnhofstrasse. Commercial buildings shield the highly frequented street. Pleasant residential neighbourhoods close to the city centre are being created around smaller squares that characterise the district with a view of the defining buildings (church / Tietz department stores').
On the ground floor, generously glazed shop zones with corresponding storage areas are provided on the square side; the shop zones are oriented towards the neighbourhood square and enliven it.
Historical reference
With their efforts to connect and densify the city centre with areas adjacent to Tietz to the east, architects are picking up on a historical thread in the expert opinion process recently initiated by the city and referencing history with their working title "Neue Johannisvorstadt" for the future development of this area. There is the following reference to the city's history: "The Johannis Gate, which faces east, was located roughly where the Posthof is today. The path through the gate led to the Johannisvorstadt, situated roughly on the site between Zschopauer Strasse and Ausgustusburger Strasse, with St John's Church and St John's Cemetery. The traffic led to the roads to Zschopau, Freiberg-Dresden and towards Augustusburg," as Adam Daniel Richter describes it in a historical document.
Questions and answers about "Neue Johannisvorstadt"
The response from citizens to the drafts has been overwhelmingly positive. At the same time, they have high expectations. So the question remains: when will construction actually start?
It won't all happen at once. The task now is to prioritise and then start the implementation process in a targeted manner. The Planning, Construction and Environment Committee discussed the results in a closed meeting on 8 September and gave the administration guidelines for implementation. In order to convince investors
to convince investors of the ideas, talks are already being held and the EXPO REAL property trade fair at the beginning of October will also be used for this purpose. The "Neue Johannisvorstadt" development site is to be developed and marketed with particular priority.
Previously, a closed block development with primarily retail and offices was planned for the car park at Tietz. And the park for the victims of fascism was to be continued on the car park at the Johanniskirche. Why were these goals changed?
The city centre lacks structural density and a connection to the neighbouring districts. Bahnhofstrasse in particular acts as a barrier and offers no incentive for passers-by to linger. The framework plan, which is currently being updated, therefore aims to develop both the Tietz car park and the car park at the Johanniskirche. The task of the participants in the expert procedure was to develop an urban development concept for this - with ideas for neighbourhood formation, use, but also for the networking of open spaces. The history of the site, Johannisvorstadt, also posed a challenge for the concepts.
Why do these areas seem suitable as residential locations despite their location on busy roads?
The demand for city centre living is growing. Chemnitz is becoming increasingly interesting for investors as yield expectations in other cities such as Dresden or Leipzig are falling. Chemnitz commissioned a renowned property developer to investigate the potential for use. This revealed that the area of the former Johannisvorstadt is particularly suitable for residential use. For some years now, more and more people have been (re)discovering city centres as attractive places to live. They expect and find the desired infrastructure and good living conditions here. Chemnitz can also benefit from this trend. The advantages of living in the "Neue Johannisvorstadt" include the possibility of creating a neighbourhood with different user zones; good connections to the park and St. John's Church; the inner-city location with proximity to the city's infrastructure and the green surroundings despite the central location. A small-scale neighbourhood development enables different forms of housing and ownership and can respond to varying demand. On Augustusburger Strasse and Bahnhofstrasse, for example, a multi-storey car park is conceivable to shield the flats from noise.
The winning design for the area around St John's Church has so far met with broad approval. The idea of developing the car park at Tietz with two squares instead of one was viewed more critically.
Previous plans for the car park envisaged one large square. This schematic idea was initially intended to make it clear that there should be a construction site on Bahnhofstrasse/Zschopauer Strasse next to Tietz. During the expert appraisal process, it was worked out that a smaller-scale division of the area, which emphasises the main entrance to Tietz, would be desirable. The design creates a forecourt for Tietz by shielding it from Bahnhofstrasse, where people can spend time.
Citizens said that the concept sees the squares to be created as "residual spaces"? What function should the squares have one day?
They were deliberately designed and developed both through their orientation towards the Tietz and the Johanniskirche as well as for the dimensioning of neighbouring squares. The squares stage the intersections of pedestrian routes and at the same time create addresses within the neighbourhoods. The ground floors of the neighbouring squares open up on these areas, which have the quality of a place to spend time away from traffic. Gastronomy and retail are to have a revitalising effect here.
The structure of the squares in the "Neue Johannisvorstadt" is largely determined by the Gablenzbach, which runs underground. Would it be possible to expose the watercourse?
In principle, that would be possible. However, the stream would only have a minor design impact, as it usually carries very little water and the bed is around 3.5 metres below ground level. However, the architect's design takes up the location of the Gablenzbach canal. The design of the open space could symbolise the motif of the course of the stream.
One visitor to the exhibition suggests that the tower of St John's Church, which was rebuilt in a simplified and shortened form in the 1970s, should be restored to its original form. Is this realistic?
The proposal is worth a closer look. With the development of the surrounding blocks, which will certainly have four to five storeys, there is a risk that the church in its current cubature will not be shown to its best advantage.
It is said that the realisation of the two building plots should proceed as quickly as possible. Does this approach correspond to the intended development of the city centre from the inside out?
The "from the centre outwards" strategy primarily relates to the development of retail locations. This must continue to be located in the immediate city centre, i.e. in the vicinity of the Markt and Neumarkt and along the Straße der Nationen. However, development in the districts beyond Bahnhofstrasse will also strengthen the city centre. Inner-city living in particular brings additional customers and footfall to the city centre and is therefore very welcome.
The development would mean the loss of public car parks. In particular, the car park at Tietz would be needed for its visitors. Will a replacement be created?
Yes, the public car parks at ground level will be removed on both construction sites. The winning design envisages replacing car parking spaces on both construction sites. At Tietz, this can be done in an underground car park. In the "Neue Johannisvorstadt" area, there is the option of building a multi-storey car park on the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Augustusburger Strasse. In both cases, the car parks would be built as private facilities with a proportion of spaces for public use.