Freier Platz Schaffhausen

The Freie Platz – The Freie Platz in Schaffhausen was once the most important historic gateway to the old town. For centuries, the square served as an access point to the city but was primarily used as a market and trading place. It was both the arrival point and the terminus of river traffic: goods left the water to be transported a short distance overland, below the Rhine Falls, before being reloaded onto boats again.

“Between the Bridges” – The spatial character of the Freie Platz changed with the construction of the new Rhine bridge. The old bridge touched the square tangentially and was terminated by a head building. The new bridge, by contrast, aligns itself with traffic flow; traffic organization now dominates the square. The Freie Platz has become a fragmented traffic zone, a non-space—neither a place of public life nor of lingering.

With the project “Between the Bridges” the urban situation of the Freie Platz is to be redefined. Instead of closing buildings, a use is proposed: a freely adaptable structure, a parasol, a roof, a sign of public life and of the marketplace. This shelter also serves as a protective skin in inclement weather. The roof marks the historic point of arrival and provides a reception space for disembarking ship passengers. Visitors reach Schaffhausen by water and, after visiting the city, depart once again from this very site.

Through a revitalization of uses, the traffic regime of the square is also expected to change in the future. The Freie Platz is to become free once again restored to its historic role as the vital link between the river and the city.

Client: Hochbauamt der Stadt Schaffhausen

Planning: Rossetti+Wyss Architekten

Visualization: Architron GmbH