By now we have become accustomed to the ODDITIES that accompany the increasing number of HOTTER THAN AVERAGE DAYS throughout the year: LOW-INCOME PEOPLE in particular spend their TIME in AIR-CONDITIONED SHOPPING CENTERS or SUPERMARKETS, and similarly air-conditioned PUBLIC BUILDINGS such as LIBRARIES become "COOLING SPACES" for the HOMELESS. The INNER CITY, especially the HAUPTPLATZ (main square), are among the AREAS of LINZ most affected by CLIMATIC OVERHEATING PHENOMENA in the SUMMER MONTHS. The QUESTION of where to go on the Hauptplatz when you want to COOL DOWN on a day like this and even the MEDIEVAL ALLEYWAYS that flank it are OVERHEATED is easy for DOMINIK RECHBERGER to ANSWER: you go into the UNDERGROUND CAR PARK, which has a TWO-STORY BASEMENT under the entire main square.
Dominik predicts a RADICAL DECREASE in INDIVIDUAL TRAFFIC in the HIGHLY URBANIZED areas of DOWNTOWN, which will gradually FREE UP underground parking garage after underground parking garage for OTHER USES. As an EXAMPLE, he has taken on the TRANSFORMATION of what is probably the most central parking garage. Instead of CARS, a “GREEN LANDSCAPE” will be found here in the FUTURE, which will OPEN UP to the main square through EXISTING and NEW openings and thus also RELEASE COOL AIR into THE CITY’S CLIMATE. RAINWATER from the city center is collected here, treated, and feeds several SWIMMING POOLS, which additionally provide COOLING on HOT DAYS. The second basement level houses the TECHNICAL ACCESS POINTS to the pools and ANCILLARY ROOMS. The PLANTINGS from the UNDERGROUND levels spill over onto the FACADES in the ALLEYS, where they GROW on ROPES to provide NATURAL SHADING.
This project is a result of the studio “Interregnum I: Urban Agencies & Dei Ex Machina”.
Concept and teaching: c/o now - Andrijana Ivanda & Tobias Hönig + Markus Rampl, Paul Reinhardt, Duy An Tran, Ksenija Zdešar