Herisau

Concept

Three buildings are arranged like the three ridges of the Alpstein, forming a spatial transition between the station and the village and reconnecting the lowered station area with the settlement. A wide, gently ascending staircase leads from the station square to the track terrace, offering views toward the church and the village.

The development is primarily residential and located close to the station, with public-oriented ground-floor uses along the pedestrian route. The ensemble is designed as a transparent, green, and permeable structure, contrasting with the closed southern edge of Bahnhofstrasse. Human-scale, lively façades are provided along Güterstrasse and the roundabout, while inactive and closed façades are avoided.

Open Space

The project reinforces Herisau’s topography-based urban landscape by creating a sequence of small-scale connected spaces between the station and the town.

The station plateau forms the central public hinge space, offering wide views over the tracks and toward the church along Bahnhofstrasse. Designed as an open plaza, a shallow depression collects rainwater, functioning as a seasonal landscape element and retention basin for surface and roof water.

Toward the tracks, a recessed seating step creates a “track balcony” overlooking the station square and bus terminal. A second staircase descends along the slope back to track level, where an ecological “track garden” is created to support local flora and fauna, with selective seating integrated.

Along Bahnhofstrasse, the landscape structure responds to the two sides of the street. The southern building is integrated into the densely vegetated hillside and continues the pattern of garden houses and hedge-lined gardens toward the station.