International Design Competition for the Central City Square of Rahovec

ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

Through the international competition, the municipality of Rahovec, Kosovo, aims to achieve a sustainable design solution of the Central City Square.

Register: NOV/16/2020, Submit: NOV/16/2020, Eligibility: Architects, planners, urban designers, landscape designers, students from these fields; individually, (interdisciplinary) teams (with experts on environment, mobility, economics), Fee: Free, Awards: 1st Prize: 7,000 EUR, 2nd Prize: 3,000 EUR, 3rd Prize: 2,000 EUR, 2 Honorable Mentions, Community Prize

The International Design Competition for Central City Square of Rahovec is organized within the project Leading Urban Change in Rahovec through revitalization of the Central City Square. The project is funded by the Municipality of Rahovec, Kosovo, and implemented with the technical support of UN-Habitat. The main purpose of the project is to promote urban regeneration and sustainable urban development as well as inclusive public space by exercising transparent and innovative methods of participatory planning and design for the Central City Square of Rahovec, a strategic part of the municipal territory.

The municipality of Rahovec is located in the western region of the country, covering an area of 275.89 km2 and based on the last census of 2011, the municipality has a total population of 56,208 inhabitants. Rahovec has a good geographical position with a continental climate and is known for its vineyards and wines, developed agriculture, rich cultural and natural heritage, while the Central City Square aims to become a reference point for local and international tourism.

Through the international competition, the municipality of Rahovec aims to achieve a sustainable design solution of the Central City Square, which provides access to safe and healthy public spaces for all its citizens. It also aims to create new business opportunities and increase the quality of urban life, in line with the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Agenda.

The competition seeks innovative and environmental-just ideas for the redevelopment of Rahovec’s cityscape to a high-quality, vibrant public urban space. Taking its cultural and historical value into account, the city center needs rethinking, giving it a new role as an essential part of this growing city.

SITE DEFINITION

The competition site is located in the heart of Rahovec’s city centre, being surrounded by several public and commercial services like schools, a museum, a library, a post office, the wine cellar and heritage buildings. The competition site is further defined by hosting the city’s only public park (which, according to a conducted survey, plays a vital role in the city’s community), local green market and indoor sports hall. The area is being distinguished between the actual project site, a more extensive strategic site and the broader urban area of the municipality. Within the competition area are several paved parking spaces, close to the three of the main roads surrounding the competition site and linking the city centre to regional roads.  The main roads edging the competition site also accommodate the city’s bus lines creating a public transport hub in the north-west of the area. Due to the spatial compactness of Rahovec’s city centre, much of the city’s public and commercial services lie within walking distance. However, it lacks a qualitative public space network and pedestrian zones. To develop a holistic and inclusive public space, the design proposal must reflect the linkages to the broader strategic area, surrounding the actual project site. The details have been lined out in a series of informative maps and attached in the appendices.

VISION AND OBJECTIVES

Two scenarios have been drafted for the development of the central square of the city and its accessibility from other parts of the city. These two scenarios should serve to the participants as a basis for developing of their concepts, but at the same time the participants are free to develop alternative ideas.

In Scenario 1 slighter interventions have been made in relation to the  existing structure, while Scenario 2 foresees more radical changes, such as the integration of the adjacent mixed residential-commercial area in the revitalization of the square, the redesign of some streets that  surround the  site and add a new road segment to increase the accessibility of the square.

The objectives set out in these scenarios are summarized below:

• Conversion of the competition location into a pedestrian public space area and closure for circulation of motorized vehicles, except in specific cases and at defined timetables (firefighting vehicles, first aid, maintenance, utilities and supply);
• Creating a multifunctional public space, suitable for holding festivals, concerts, fairs, gatherings and other cultural and social events;
• Improving the mobility through traffic solutions on the roads surrounding the site and within the strategic boundary;
• A sustainable urban design solution that contributes to the mitigation of climate change by reducing noise and air pollution;
• Creating a sense of place by incorporating user-friendly and adequate access to the square areas for social events, plazas, amenities, parks and promenades;
• Integration of main areas (city park, former stadium area, hotel, market), inner roads and parking spaces into a whole and compact space of the Central City Square;
• Increasing the market space of local products through the creation of closed and open spaces for operation throughout the year and to create new opportunities for local farmers;
• Uncovering of the Duhlo river segment and regulation of the river key with greenery and movement paths for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as solving the problem of floods during the rainy season;
• Creating a “green path” along the river and planning its extension towards the old town and the rural area (vineyards, agritourism, cultural and natural heritage sites, Hardh Fest);
• Creating new business opportunities with the redevelopment of Commrcial-Business Premises;
• Proposing solutions for the inclusion in the framework of this redevelopment, of the adjacent area (Mixed use commercial-residential area), which is privately owned;
• Planning of parking areas for all facilities within the square. Planning of underground, on the ground or aboveground parking lots for vehicles, buses and bikes. Examine possible parking solutions, giving priority to the possibility of developing underground parking spaces;
• Planning local and intercity bus stations on the perimeter roads for the needs of the Central Square and indoor sports hall;
• Creation of a spectator gathering square for the indoor sports hall, within the central square;
• Remodeling of the memorial “Toni e Mici”, within the city park;
• Solutions for mobile, modular and flexible stands, to be suitable for use in different events in the square;
• To propose the solutions for the implementation of the project in phases. Graphically present the areas allocated for implementation and determine their priority.

website | centralsquare-rahovec.info |