Market place, Willich by KRAFT.RAUM

The market place with the heritage protected St. Catherine church is the landmark and unique feature of the city of Willich. It represents an important open space for locals and for tourists. The appearance of the market place at and around the church as well as the traffic requirements doesn’t do its meaning justice. With the redesign of the market place and its adjoining areas, the design draft pursues the intention to create a high-quality public open space that ensures a high level of quality of stay.

Like a living room the square provides space for a variety of uses – from stay and play to communication and rest. The design, developed from the church and the surrounding buildings, provides a clear spatial basic shape which acts as the basis of the design. The urban space is clearly divided into rest, recreation and action areas. These areas are designed as inlays in a homogenous urban ground of natural stone slabs. Generational offers and accessibility are just as much a fundamental idea of planning as flexible usability for example for the weekly market.

The almost rectangular basic form is elevated with a modern floor covering. The fittings and the furniture were designed especially for the new market place. To strengthen the quality of stay, a meeting place is created in form of a long table along the church. The generously dimensioned table invites to communicate and linger and foster the interaction between young and old.