Uelzen:
Train Station restored with Ecological and Cultural concepts from the Artist Hundertwasser
Uelzen:
| |
| Country: | a) Western Europe | ,b) Germany |
| Language: | |
| Type: | Project, 1 |
| Area: | City/Town, 20,000-100,000 |
| Actors: | Local government, Regional government, Economic sector |
| Funding: | Local government, Regional government, Publ.-priv. partnership |
| Topics: | Architecture and construction |
| Culture | |
| Energy | |
| Mobility and transport | |
| Objectives: | Increase public awareness |
| Increase use of public transport | |
| Increase use of renewable resources | |
| Instruments: | Demonstration and pilot project |
The actual Train Station is one part of the Uelzen 2000 EXPO Project, of which there are altogether four project components:
The reunification of Germany brought new opportunities to Uelzen just as many cities and regions. For Uelzen this meant a possible restoration of its historic Train Station as a meeting point of important north-south and east-west lines, and a chance to strengthen local identity. The Uelzen project also presented an opportunity for the German Rail system to explore alternatives for redeveloping stations found in middle-sized cities at important points on long-distance routes.
An objective was to reclaim the character of the 1888 built Train Station while modernizing the train platforms and other infrastructure. In the total building area of about 1,475 qm, spaces were created for food and other services, offices as well as rooms for meetings and cultural events. Through Hundertwasser's influence some significant ecological and cultural aspects were integrated into the Station development.
The new solar energy plant on the roofs of the Train Station, when completed, will produce approximately 100 KWp, making it one of the largest such systems in northern Germany. This effort is cooperatively organized by German Railways and the Uelzen power utility, and supported by the Lower Saxony Energy Agency and Solar Energy Research Institute. This is the first time for German Railways to integrate such a large solar project into one of their stations.
It is also planned to build a Solar Filling Station, meaning electric vehicles will be able to be recharged here with energy generated though solar panels.
While an improvement of services for train passengers is a focal point, connections among a range of transportation types are being developed here. Bus services are better integrated into the Train Station as are improved facilities for bicyclists. Included in this concept are new information services concerning transportation options.
As with so many train stations, older rail yards adjacent to the Uelzen Station have been abandoned. With its redevelopment, the Uelzen Station has gained a new local significance and made it possible to consider redevelopment of these yards, and so a new City District, the Achterbahn is planned for this area. This District is expected to include demonstrations of ecological urban design and architecture as well as ecological services.
Planning for a restructuring of the Uelzen Train Station began in the mid-1990s, when an exceptional coalition was formed that included representatives from the CDU (Christian Democrats), SPD (Social Democrats) and Green Parties. They brought together representatives from local and regional political and economic circles, and went on to take advantage of the EXPO 2000 program of decentrally-recognized projects, and were awarded such support in 1996. As the hosting of the EXPO was seen by many in the region critically and with skepticism, the funding of a range of projects scattered around the region was one way to gain support from the area for EXPO interests. In any case, this meant a substantial amount of publicity through the association with the Hannover EXPO, and financial support.
To accompany the development and opening of the Train Station, an extensive exhibition of Hundertwasser's history, ideas and art was shown between April and November 2000. Included here was documentation of the world famous artist's concerns in the areas of ecology, culture and architecture.
This Train Station has indeed once again become one of the region's most interesting and attractive structures. It is hoped that the Uelzen Station will serve as a magnet, not just to draw people to the City of Uelzen, but also to add to the attraction of travel by train, and to possibly inspire other cities to take on similar restoration efforts of their own train stations.
The colorful and playful style of Hundertwasser placed extra demands on the planning and construction processes. While Hundertwasser and his assistants had very particular ideas about design, color and astethics, they also gave construction workers an unheard of amount of flexibility, for example in making decisions about the final patterns taken by ceramic and brick elements. Thus there was a great deal of back and forth between ceramic and brick layers, the immediate construction supervisers,and the Hundertwasser office in Wien.
The Uelzen Train Station redevelopment was financed by the City and Region of Uelzen as well as the Land of Lower Saxony, a Lower Saxony Bank Foundation and Lotto Foundation. Recognition as an official EXPO 2000 Decentral Project brought in funding through the EXPO that would cover about 10% of the total investment costs for Uelzen's Station redevelopment.
The solar energy aspects of Rail & Sun were 50% funded by Lower Saxony, or about 600,000 out of 1.1 million DM.
The total costs of the Station redevelopment, excluding the Achterbahn project, is estimated to be around 20 million DM. Lower Saxony contributed about 5 million DM and the City and Region of Uelzen each contributed another 0.5 mill. DM.
Unfortunately the artist Hundertwasser died in February of 2000, before the completion of the Station. Hundertwasser prepared a statement in 1999 for the unveiling of the designs, which included the following thoughts:
"...a basic objective with Ulezen was the restoration of the historic character of the Train Station. A further wish was to plant trees and to green the roofs wherever possible. The introduction of nature into the Uelzen Train Station is important, as architecture has increasingly distanced itself from the organic patterns of nature as well as from the longings and dreams of humans. An honorable human existence is not possible without a more humanly just environment and without peace with nature..."
BAHNHOF 2000 Uelzen e.V. (2000) Uelzen Station 2000, Ecological and Cultural Station: A Hundertwasser-Architectural-Project / Bahnhof 2000 Uelzen, Umwelt- und Kulturbahnhof: Ein Umwelt und Kulturbahnhof: Ein Hundertwasser-Architektur-Projekt. Project Brochure.
BAHNHOF 2000 Uelzen e.V. (2000) Hundertwasser ... Die Ausstellung Ausstelllungsprogramm (Exhibition Program)
Uelzen Train Station 2000
www.bahnhof2000-uelzen.de/
City of Uelzen
www.uelzen.de
KunstHausWien / Hundertwasser
www.hundertwasser.de
Deutsche Bahn (DB) Gruppe (German Railways)
www.bahn.de
| Name | : | Chales de Beaulieu |
| Firstname | : | Michael |
| Telefon | : | ++49 (0)171/922 77 36 |
| Telefax | : | ++49 581 17700 |
| Address | : | Bahnhof 2000 Uelzen e. V. |
| Bahnhof Uelzen | ||
| 29525 Uelzen | ||
| Germany |
| Name | : | Stadt Uelzen/ City of Uelzen |
| Firstname | : | |
| Telefon | : | ++49 (0) 581 800440 |
| Telefax | : | ++49 (0) 581 800100 |
| Address | : | Herzogenplatz 2 |
| 29525 | ||
| Uelzen | ||
| Germany |
The City of Uelzen can be reached in about 45 minutes on the train from Hannover, which in 2000 was the host of the World's Exposition EXPO 2000. While Uelzen was historically an important train station, the division of East and West Germany weakened its position. The new developments have helped to re-establish Uelzen as an important railway junction between the East and West as well as North and South of Germany. Uelzen lies in the middle of the rail line connecting Hannover and Hamburg, and the historic America line connecting Bremen and Berlin also runs through Uelzen.
Project was added at 10.09.2001
Project was changed at 10.09.2001