[ad_1]
Summer is slowly coming to an end. With cooler nights, the bank of the Rhine empties and people gather more and more inland. However, in these last days of summer, the banks of the Rhine cool down again: the new wooden terraces will serve as an additional opportunity to relax on the Middle Bridge.
On Tuesday, Monica Linder-Guarnaccia, managing director of IBA Basel, inaugurated the new terraces, together with the director of construction and traffic Hans-Peter Wessels. The steel and wood construction, which will be available to the population for three years, is 27 meters long and four meters deep.
The Basel International Construction Exhibition (IBA) 2020 started the project. It is part of the “Rheinliebe” project group, which is made up of trinational representatives from Germany, France and Switzerland. “The Rhine is the connecting element in trinational space,” says Hans-Peter Wessels.
Use of public space for everyone
But the use of the banks of the Rhine is not only important because of its trinational importance, because various interests in public space converge on the Rhine, according to Wessels. In addition to the economical use of shipping, the bank of the Rhine is a meeting place and home for many residents.
With the additional area of 100 square meters, the busy banks of the Rhine will now be relieved. “I am convinced that the population will be very happy to use the new Rhine promenade,” he says.
Local residents complain about the project
However, part of the population was against the new wooden terraces on the Rhine. The issue provoked an increase in discussions and objections, especially among residents of the banks of the Rhine. The main reasons for this were noise complaints and garbage. “A typical conflict,” says Wessels. “But such a beautiful place should be there for everyone.” The objections also did not continue when it became known that the Rhine terraces would not remain forever, but only for three years.
The “Rheinliebe” project pursues the vision of allowing a coordinated mixed use of the banks of the Rhine so that a common identity can be developed across borders. “The Rheinterrassen project is just one piece of the puzzle in the big picture,” says Monica Linder-Guarnaccia.
The banks of the Rhine from Stein in Switzerland through Bad Säckigen in Germany to Kembs in France must be made more accessible and permeable. In three years, the Kleinbasel bank of the Rhine between Mittlerer Brücke and Wettsteinbrücke will be renovated.
