Nelson-Mandela-Platz, Vienna/Austria

Based on the urban development concept and the design from the open two-stage realisation competition from 2022, the public space of Rote Saite Nord will be designed in a holistic yet differentiated way. A uniform granite pavement carpet is planned along the entire length of the urban space in the northern part of Seestadt Aspern: levelled and equally usable, robust and ageing to a high standard. Three urban spaces are emphasised as places with a particularly strong identity: Nelson-Mandela-Platz, the Co-kreative Meile and Zaha-Hadid-Platz. They offer different, complementary offerings and stimulate a diverse city life.
Nelson-Mandela-Platz forms the urban prelude at Seestadt Nord underground station and integrates the tram and bus stops in the same material. Inlays of medium-format granite paving slabs zone the square and create three sub-spaces of different character. The areas are held together by a high proportion of greenery at eye level and by around 110 trees. Large parts of the meteoric water produced are channelled into the sponge city body. The playable fountain forms an attractive meeting point on the central square, which can be used for markets. Realisation is planned from spring 2025 on.