Forecourt of St. Pölten Provincial Court

The main aim was to transform a formerly prestigious but unused area, which offers no quality of stay due to the busy Schießstattring – part of the state road 100 – into an urban, attractive and versatile town square. In this way, a place that was previously only visually recognisable is to be given back to the city in a material and functional way.

The overall concept of the design is derived from the façade of the existing courthouse. This applies in particular to the design of the square, which is intended to be both inviting and prominent as well as shielding from the busy street. In order to integrate the existing architecture directly into the square design, the façade structure is transferred to the open square. This not only creates a dialogue between the building and the urban space, but also an urban field of functional elements such as benches, plant troughs, raised beds and ventilation elements, which vary in height depending on their use. This creates an artificial landscape that simultaneously serves as a public rest area and a versatile open space.

The redesigned town square, which is flanked not only by the court but also by other urban facilities such as the municipal indoor swimming pool Aquacity and the Stadtsäle, which have been converted into a conference hotel, has been transformed from a pure transit point into a lively place to spend time. On the one hand, it serves as a place to linger for those waiting in court, but also invites city dwellers and passers-by to stay.