Post by KCAP

The Aare River has always defined this stretch of the Solothurn Mittelland, yet its relationship to Schönenwerd was primarily industrial. The upcoming Aaregarten asks how a new neighbourhood can grow from that waterfront condition, bringing water-oriented living and generous public spaces alongside the selective re-use of existing industrial buildings. Following a public information day in September 2025, the Aaregarten has entered the Gestaltungsplan procedure. The guiding framework, developed from KCAP's winning competition proposal for the Mischzone Aare, is now the basis for a formal planning process with construction anticipated as of 2027. Guided by the spatial concept of the "Aare Trilogy", Aaregarten establishes three distinct character zones that connect Schönenwerd to a new public quality. The design draws on the site's existing layers - river, path, buildings, and street - to shape and define these varied spatial identities. The 30,000 m² masterplan brings together around 180 housing units, retail, gastronomy, and public space, anchored by a continuous linear park. Two focal spaces - an Aare balcony in the south and a neighbourhood square in the north - form the civic core. A lower riverside promenade, an elevated Aare path, and a series of transversal connections keep the site open and accessible beyond the development itself. Varied building heights and a permeable structure keep the river throughout present, spatially and visually. Commissioned by ECOREAL Schweizerische Immobilien Anlagestiftung, Brauerei Karbacher AG, and Burckhardt Entwicklungen, with KCAP as urban designer and architect, in collaboration with VOGT Landscape Architects (landscape), IBV Hüssler (mobility), and EBP Schweiz (sustainability). Visualisations by RENWERK GmbH (Xaos) #KCAP #UrbanDesign #RiverfrontDevelopment #Schönenwerd #Aaregarten #PublicSpace