How can a unique place evolve without losing its character? As part of the Student Design Competition marking SFP Group’s 25th anniversary, participants explored the Walzwerk site in Münchenstein and Arlesheim, gaining valuable insights into its history, community and diverse uses. The challenge now is to translate these insights into forward-looking ideas for the site’s future — balancing densification, mixed-use development, public space, heritage and ecological resilience.
The Student Design Competition to mark the SFP Group’s 25th anniversary is moving into the next round: together with participants, we visited the rolling mill site in Münchenstein and Arlesheim and gained fascinating insights into this special place.
During a guided tour led by Angela Loescher-Montal, the students learnt about the history, the ongoing transformation and the diverse uses of the site. Particularly valuable was the direct exchange with current tenants of the site, including the freelance artist Martin Raimann, who was able to share insights with the students – drawn from his own personal experience spanning over 25 years – into the development of the community as well as the diverse values and facets of the Walzwerk site.
SF Urban Properties AG acquired the site in 2017 and has since been working towards the aim of carefully developing the former aluminium production site, whilst retaining its existing uses, and strengthening it as a versatile location. Today, the university competition offers students the unique opportunity and responsibility to critically contribute to the site’s ongoing transformation and to engage with the issues and trade-offs surrounding densification, mixed-use development, public space, architectural heritage and ecological resilience. Participants are invited to work with the site’s existing character, rather than erasing it, and to propose interventions that combine lasting social, spatial and economic qualities.
With over 250 competition entries, we are delighted by the huge interest and creativity demonstrated in this competition. We are eagerly looking forward to the ideas that will emerge from it!
Next milestone: submission of projects on 18 October
