FC Aarau's new home
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new football stadium will take place as soon as the legally binding building permits for the new Torfeld Süd quarter have been issued.
How do you combine a football stadium with an attractive residential area? – "It's not always easy, but it offers great opportunities," says Ariel Arthur Dunkel, project manager for real estate development at HRS Real Estate AG. «The focus here is on the question of use and the possibilities of appropriating the diverse open spaces. The district thrives on the tension between everyday life and a festive atmosphere.» The planning is already very advanced, but it has not yet been possible to submit a building application: “We are waiting for the partial change in the usage plan of the city of Aarau, against which a complaint has been lodged, to take legal effect. Then comes the approval process for the design plan that we developed for the area together with the city of Aarau. Then comes the building permit process. Until then, the planning rests.”
There aren't many vacant areas that are so well developed. The eastern part of Torfeld Süd is, so to speak, a missing part of the city that is now being supplemented. To the south and west, Torfeld Süd borders on lively quarters. The networking of the non-motorized traffic development and the open and green spaces is an important topic in the planning. «The project is very visible. And that's why we want it to be seen as an example of good development – in terms of architecture, the revitalization of the building base, the attractive open spaces, the high standards of sustainability and the mix of uses that people with everything important in a small radius provided."
Ariel Dunkel would like to start building tomorrow: “However, it is understandable that numerous interests have to be coordinated with a project of this size and scope. This will need time. The difficult thing here is that the population, who always clearly supported the stadium project in the votes, now have to be so patient because of the appeals process. There is also intensive dialogue with politicians, who rightly have high expectations of the project. Personally, I am convinced that the project will create significant added value not only for the area itself, but also for the surrounding area.» The construction project was also affected by the corona pandemic. Many households would like more space so that they can work comfortably from home in the long term: “We also have studios and small apartments that can be rented. In principle, we are working from a very solid starting position due to the good development and the comprehensive supply of quarters and can easily react to changes," concludes Dunkel.
