Return of the wild waters at Schänzli
With the Schänzli site, Muttenz is launching a flagship project for ecological urban development and sustainable natural spaces. The winning project, "Aqua fera", is bringing the Birs river back to life and creating an innovative neighbourhood at the gateway to Basel.
The Schänzli site marks the beginning of a new era in landscape planning along the River Birs. The winning project, “Aqua fera” by Berchtold.Lenzin Landscape Architects, Versaplan and Holinger, frees the river from its rigid form and gives it freedom of movement. Shallow water zones, low-water channels and near-natural banks create habitats for fish, birds and amphibians, strengthen groundwater protection and make the floodplain landscape accessible again.
Visitor guidance via wooden walkways, piles of branches and defined paths protects sensitive areas, while a refreshment bar and small event areas at the northern entrance provide space for people to meet. Towards the south, the terrain becomes quieter, merging into the Vogelhölzli nature reserve and opening up new perspectives on a revitalised Birs. Noise barriers along the motorway shield the area and at the same time form a new connection to the Käppeli district.
City on the river
The new Am Schänzli quarter borders directly on the nature reserve. Three high-rise buildings with around 400 flats, offices, restaurants and leisure facilities, together with spacious open areas and commercial space, form a lively urban fragment at the gateway to Basel. The development meets the SNBS Gold Standard, focusing on photovoltaics, heat recovery, green roofs and a compact design with biodiversity zones between the buildings.
The mobility strategy prioritises slow traffic. Cycle, foot and tram connections link the neighbourhood with Basel-Stadt, the Birspark recreational area and the Hagnau sites. The principle of “open space through density” demonstrates its power here: a better quality of life through compact, intelligently organised construction.
Cooperation and implementation
The site development is financed by value-added levies on landowners in Hagnau and through public-private cooperation with the municipality of Muttenz. The neighbourhood planning process, which was approved after intensive public participation, forms the basis for the coordinated overall development of Hagnau East, Hagnau West and the Schänzli site.
Construction of the high-rise buildings began in spring 2025 and will be completed in stages by 2029. While Am Schänzli is growing, the southern river area remains undeveloped and is becoming the backbone of a coherent green network between the city and the countryside.
A model for the future of cities and nature
The Schänzli project is symbolic of the new generation of Swiss urban development: ecologically regenerative, architecturally precise, socially integrated. It proves that economic density and ecological diversity are not mutually exclusive, but can reinforce each other.
With “Aqua fera”, the Birs is not only being renaturalised, it is being reintroduced into everyday urban life. Muttenz is thus demonstrating how forward-looking planning can harmonise open space, climate resilience and urban quality of life. The Schänzli is becoming a living transition between city and nature and a powerful symbol for the return of wild waters.