Old measuring station

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Old measuring site, view from the old fire station to the west

The Alte Meßplatz is located in Mannheim on the northern bank of the Neckar directly opposite the city center and is the end or starting point of the "Kurpfalzachse" to Mannheim Castle .

history

The square was built around 1870, with development on the edge of the square beginning around 1900. In 1876 the folk festival, the Mannheimer Mess , moved to the Alte Messplatz. For reasons of space, the fair was relocated a little up the Neckar at the end of the 1930s to the so-called White Sand between the (old) fire station and the Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke . In 1963, due to a lack of space, the company moved again to the larger Neue Messplatz. The festival still takes place there today. Since then, the square has been known as the Alter Meßplatz and renamed the street in 1975. In 1900, a small terminal station for several railway companies was set up on the Neckarterrasse south of the square . As one of the largest district squares in Mannheim, a comprehensive adaptation to the increasing mobility was made in 1975 at the old measuring place. Surrounded by busy roads, it was broken up by taxi stands, tram stops, tram tracks running diagonally across the square and a bus turning loop . A fountain was built as a loosening element. In 2002, as part of the preparations for the city's 400th anniversary in 2007, a competition to redesign the entire Kurpfalz axis and thus also the old measuring site was announced. The aim was to open up the square towards the Neckar and make it a public space again. In addition, the Neckarterrasse on the banks of the Neckar was redesigned.

Location and urban significance

The square forms the beginning (or the end) of the Kurpfalz axis. The Electoral Palatinate axis connects the historic city ​​center with the Neckarstadt , which emerged at the end of the 19th century, and leads from the castle through the pedestrian zone Breite Straße (Kurpfalzstraße) in the city center via the Kurpfalzkreisel and the Kurpfalzbrücke to the old measuring site. Located on the north bank of the River Neckar, which joins the square east Old Fire Station with the River Neckar building North of. To the north and west are residential and commercial buildings. The former terminus is to the southeast. The former freight halls to the south were demolished to open up to the Neckar. To the southwest, a food market was built, the architecture of which was awarded.

layout

The opening of the approximately 28,500 m² square was mainly achieved by relocating the track system to the northern and eastern edge areas of the old measuring station. The construction of a new tram route through the Schafweide street resulted in a further reduction in traffic. A direct feed line to the Kurpfalzbrücke enabled road traffic to be relieved. The previously necessary complete bypassing of the square is no longer necessary today. The square is much easier to reach for pedestrians. The border with plane tree avenues is intended to create a spatial separation between the traffic areas and the actual square. Light, large-format granite slabs form the floor covering that was used from the castle to the old measuring station on the entire Kurpfalz axis. The slabs were laid in the stretcher bond towards the Neckar so that the direction is clearly defined. Four masts with mirror projectors illuminate the open area in front of the square. Additional light steles ensure that the other areas are illuminated.

and display information about the image
View to the east over the square to the old fire station

Square house

The square house with a gastronomic facility forms the distinctive northern end point of the square and the Kurpfalz axis. In the shape of a simple showman's booth, the building symbolizes the history as a measuring point. The outer shell is formed by a mesh made of expanded metal that is backlit in color at night. Two smaller single-storey buildings were erected before the superstructure was erected.

Water garden

The water garden is deliberately separated from the rest of the space by means of a black basalt surface . Aligned linearly to the Neckar are displaced soda makers, benches, trees and spotlights. The vertical is formed by the multi-stemmed rock pears , the horizontal by the benches. The bubblers are dynamically controlled and form an invigorating element. The nighttime lighting underlines the accentuation of the square design.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ MARCHIVUM: Mannheimer Straße name, age measuring station. Retrieved September 17, 2018 .

literature

  • Results of the limited open urban development competition with the ideas section “Kurpfalzachse Mannheim - From Schloss to Alten Messplatz” , resolution proposal 580/2002 of the Lord Mayor of Mannheim
  • Development plan No. 31.1 / 23 Redesign of the traffic and plaza “Alter Messplatz” as well as partial changes to the legally binding development plan 32 / 18a in Mannheim-Neckarstadt , which has been legally binding since February 20, 1975 , resolution proposal 154/2003 by the Lord Mayor of Mannheim
  • Construction time - The Wolff & Müller Journal , issue 22/05, pp. 38 and 39
  • Brochure Urban Future - Innovative Urban Development through the “Acquis urban” , German-Austrian URBAN Network, Berlin / Brussels, 2005, p. 43

Web links

Commons : Alter Meßplatz (Mannheim)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 49 ° 29 ′ 46.3 "  N , 8 ° 28 ′ 22"  E