Rhine River Promenade Bonn

An overall urban concept was developed to link the shore of the Rhine more intently with the adjacent urban areas of Bonn. Clear pathways lead to the Rhine as a recurring element in the urban space, and the height difference between the city and the Rhine bank is accentuated. Urban plateaus at the opera and festival theatre as well as the bastion at the old customs create balcony-like enclosures at the city edge while offering expansive views over the Rhine. A continuous riverbank promenade from Beethovenhalle to the UN Campus flanks the Rhine, luring residents and visitors to stroll and linger. Small squares at the entrances to the city articulate and punctuate the promenade and lead into the centre. The linearity of the promenade is reinforced by rows of trees, stairs and long seating elements. Rhine balconies and floating platforms enrich the promenade as places to pause at and on the water. The linear arrangement mediates the varying elevations of the city, the riverbank and the river. As the first component of the overall strategy as part of the initial building phase, the bastion of the old customs house grounds is repurposed as an important link between the city centre and the banks of the Rhine.