Rinteln is on the move, bringing on new ideas
As part of their project work, students at the Institute of Environmental Planning/Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning have investigated the possible conversion of the former IGS school building at Kollegienplatz into a cultural and educational center.
The project took place in close cooperation with the Economic Development Agency of the City of Rinteln and the Interreg North Sea Regions funding program Stronger Combined.
The students focused on the possible usage of the former school building and its schoolyard located at Kollegienplatz. In June and July, they conducted interviews with potential users. These included the Academia Rinteln, the district youth music school, the city library, the multi-generation house, the city youth care, and the Museum Eulenburg. They were invited by the City of Rinteln to a workshop which was aimed to generate ideas for the monument protected building and its schoolyard.
Three thematic focal points or fields of action are needed for the conversion project to succeed:
- The common cooperation – in points of communication and interaction between the potential users and their internal organization as well as the identification of the potential users with the building and the location itself.
- The common needs – in regards of the interaction between the cultural and educational center and the City of Rinteln and its inhabitants.
- The connection to the old town – in points of the connection to other parts of the city and the surrounding area as well as in points of an overall sustained mobility.
The presented recommendations for action are a motivation for the administration and political committees in Rinteln to further explore the possibilities of the educational and cultural center as well as the future design of the former schoolyard and square of Kollegienplatz. It was emphasized by the students "that the design of the former schoolyard and square is still open for all ideas imaginable as the ideas presented were not part of a concrete implementation concept”. In addition, however, to create an attractive meeting space it is important to include potential users and participants – in concrete associations, residents and citizens of Rinteln across all age groups - in the further process, which originally started with a row of workshops in 2017.
Stronger Combined‘s involvement
With the possible conversion of the school building, until October used by the IGS school, and its schoolyard into an educational and cultural center, the needs of users in points of mobility and connection aspects at Kollegienplatz will change. Within the framework of Stronger Combined, current and future mobility needs are examined to optimally coordinate existing mobility offers of various partners and providers, such as public transport, to close gaps and to combine and optimize them in a needs-based and sustainable form in the best way possible.
