THE TRANSFORMATION OF GREIFENBERG

Strengthening and developing identity | The aim of the proposed design concept is to highlight the distinctive qualities that characterize the village's appearance, both in terms of its linear layout and its unique topographical location, taking into account urban planning, open space planning, and traffic aspects, and to make these qualities tangible in the atmosphere. The key messages of the previous planning and participation formats are reflected here and incorporated into the concept development.

Urban development concept | Between the entrance to the Perfallhöhe, which has been upgraded in terms of design and use, and the castle ensemble, lies the sensitively balanced town center, which combines historical and modern elements.
In addition to the characteristic street-front buildings with front gardens, plinth walls, and fences, important ecclesiastical, public, culturally and historically significant, and stately buildings are strung together like a string of pearls.
There is no specific central function in the form of a larger connected market square or similar, in keeping with the basic structure of the street village.
Instead, the townscape is characterized by alternating expansions of space, recesses, or subtle rear spaces along the inner street structure. These plots, which are usually occupied by important public buildings or public and communal uses – such as the church ensemble with the cherry terraces in front, the shopping center, the old town hall with the village shop opposite, the new hospice facing away from the street, the joint-like area of the old school with the new town hall building, the historic inn, and the area in front of the castle complex – are being activated, partly repurposed, and woven into the vibrant overall space of the village center.
Spaces that were previously hidden or underrepresented are becoming an integral part of the new village organism, which is predominantly mineral in character; functional, unobtrusive, wooden new structures are subtly interwoven with it.
New spatial connections between paths and squares are offered, linking the sub-areas both within the village and with the surrounding landscape, even away from the road network. Direct and indirect views into and out of the Weidach valley are staged.

Traffic concept | The proposed 20 km/h speed limit in the village center means that there is no need to raise the curbs of the traffic areas. Instead, the barrier-free, level expansion in the town center (3 cm ramp) is decisive—the public space is thus made equally accessible to all visitors, taking into account the greatest possible accessibility, allowing for different types of (temporary) use and leading to a sustainable increase in the quality of stay.
In order to ensure this (temporarily), stationary traffic along all four access routes is absorbed by parking areas integrated into the landscape or village in secondary zones, while flowing traffic is diverted without disruption via the existing (bypass) road network.

Slope edge.Local park | Between the town center and the Windachaue, the new Windachleitenpark stretches across the slope between the castle and the cemetery.
Targeted maintenance work on the unstructured vegetation creates new visual and spatial relationships – the church and castle, as prominent sacred and stately buildings respectively, enter into an exciting relationship, with the town hall pulpit and historic inn garden nestled between them.
The hillside park is visually and ecologically enhanced by the creation of new orchards, woven into valuable, selectively cultivated groups of trees as a buffer zone.
New paths and walking trails are gently embedded into the hillside. A nature trail offers an additional incentive to visit.
In the area of the former Theresienbad, there is a Kneipp facility and a water playground as a “place of remembrance.” The parking spaces for the sports area are landscaped into a grove of trees.

Material concept | The aim is to reduce the color scheme by limiting it to a few consistent, sustainable materials.
Uniform color scheme for all paving materials by means of a row pattern of walkable granite paving in the roadway area, the sidewalks, and further recreational areas in a smaller-scale, irregular pattern with permeable grass joints and/or—depending on usage requirements—with open gravel surfaces.
The proposed “simple,” village-style material concept ties the sub-areas together in a natural and visually tangible way.

Vegetation concept | The proposed vegetation concept is based on a selection of climate-resilient, predominantly native tree species.
The predominant orchards and meadows are brought into the inner town center by planting new fruit trees. Together with the partly opulent existing trees, they emphasize the village character.
New front gardens and square-like expansions of space are subtly highlighted with specific tree species in the overall village context, creating a sense of identity.

Lighting concept | In line with the urban planning model—the vibrant inner spatial structure of the street village—subtle lighting is proposed for the adjacent (semi-)public buildings, the repurposed, identity-creating buildings, and the sacred and stately buildings. Specific, subtle “light spaces” that emphasize usage enter into an exciting dialogue throughout the village.

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