![]() A meandering channel formed within the corrected 250m-wide bed and rocky bars were gradually exposed, the most notorious being at Istein near Kembs. Large-scale channel improvements were carried out between 18, but they had the effect of increasing the current speed and bed erosion. The Upper Rhine (from Basle down to Bingen in Germany) has always been a difficult and often a dangerous river to navigate. The Rhine then runs north and northwest through Germany and the Netherlands to discharge into the North Sea, 1320km from its source. Just below the busy inland port of Basle the river leaves Switzerland and forms the French-German border over a distance of 184km, down to Lauterbourg. Passing through Lake Constance, it retains its alpine character along the Swiss-German border down to the Basle region, where navigation begins at Rheinfelden. Unfortunately, not all of them have active ground levels.Īs the designers have put it: "To see and be seen, to watch other people, is the most important reason why people gather in public spaces - not fancy design features.The Rhine has its sources in the Swiss Alps southwest of Chur. The new waterfront is lined with residential and office buildings - most of them were in place already before the promenade was created. In order to achieve this, the architects have placed a modern new theatre building right under the bridge to enliven the dark uninviting space under the bridge and to encourage passers-by to go further. ![]() It is also important to mention, that the scheme manages to extend the promenade southwards under a rather appalling expressway bridge leading further to the newly gentrified harbour area. The whole stretch of waterfront is almost completely pedestrianized now. Thereby, the scheme creates new connections from the city centre to the river. The new promenade now allows for extension of the evening and night-time activities straight to the river. The neighbouring area, Duesseldorf's not-so-old post-war "Old Town" is Germany's largest and most vibrant nightlife area. This is the place where people congregate in summer, sitting on the steps and watching the ships on the river pass by. The northern stretch is more urban and features a re-designed square (Burgplatz) with steps down to the river. The southern stretch is wider and has a sloping lawn down to the river. The upper level has two continuous rows of plane trees with benches in between. Several simple and temporary restaurants/ beer gardens with colourful awnings in front have been integrated into the flood wall (permanent structures are not allowed due to flooding). There is a lower level entirely paved with tarmac (which is not as ugly as it sounds) which is used by skateboarders, inline skaters and cyclists. However, the simplicity, boldness and consistency seem to be the reasons for the success. The design solution is therefore fairly simple and sometimes a bit rough, using straightforward contemporary design throughout. ![]() The new esplanade was designed by local designers Fritschi, Stahl, Baum on a very tight budget, as the cost of the tunnel kept rising and the budget for the public space was cut frequently. Finally, in the 1990's the authorities decided to put the expressway into a tunnel and create a new promenade on top. As in so many other cities, this place used to be a wide urban expressway along the river, effectively cutting the city centre off from the riverfront. This project is easily one of the most successful waterfront transformations in Germany or anywhere else in Europe.
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