Metroport on the Rhine: Strasbourg-Kehl

The site of this studio, at the border between France and Germany, is an industrial port between Strasbourg and Kehl, on the river Rhine, a major European river that takes its source in the Swiss Alps and pass through major countries. It ends in the Netherlands on the North Sea coast.

The ambition of Strasbourg and the Mayor is to enlarge the city hosting the European Parliament, until now well-known for its cathedral, Christmas market and medieval center, to include the harbor in this European Metropolis.

They have identified half of their former industrial port as a potential to create a sustainable city, 80 hectares in size. The other half of the port will remain in function on one of the most important trade river in Europe. It\’s an interesting and challenging question to organize and combine urban and industrial functions.

The project is to realize the conversion of part of the industrial port, realizing the link between the city center and the river Rhine through an urban continuity following water through several canals and river arms.

The research design targets all relevant scale levels, varying from regional river landscape to urban context and architectural and open-space structure, able to integrate the existing built context as well as the infrastructures, into an innovative and creative urban network creating a strong image as well as a sustainable city.

The masterplan after a first stage in 2014, will be definitely approved in July 2016.
The first act of the project is a tramway, actually under realization, connecting both sides of the river Rhine: Strasbourg and Kehl.