The Municipality of Bozen-Bolzano invited us to redesign Piazzetta Schgraffer, addressing the challenges of a rapidly warming city. The redesign also reintroduces the historic beer garden of the Schgraffer hotel, reinforcing its role as a vibrant gathering place within the fabric of Bolzano’s old town.

A central gravel surface, shaded by a light grove of trees, frames the restaurant’s flexible seating, accommodating quiet lunchtime hours as well as a lively evening programme. Perennial beds with extended seating edges define the square and invite people to linger, observe, and enjoy the space without any obligation to consume. The gravel edging and steps in local Bressanone granite provide a high-quality, place-specific materiality, while circulation paths along the gallery connecting Waltherplatz with Weintraubengasse are paved with granite cobblestones.

Through this spatial opening and renewed activation, the square reclaims the historic charm of the beer garden, once again becoming a vibrant meeting point in the heart of the city.

Rainwater as a resource –
the sponge city principle

Piazzetta Schgraffer is designed as a functional part of the sponge city. The redesign removed the sealed surface, allowing rainwater from the square itself as well as from adjacent terraces and rooftops to seep away directly on site. Underground drainage shafts integrated into the central gravel surface create a retention volume during heavy rainfall and slowly release the water into the root zone of the surrounding trees. There it is stored, taken up by the trees, and returned to the environment through evaporation. In this way, the square contributes to cooling its surroundings and demonstrates how rainwater can be used as a resource in urban space.

Convivial,
Flexible,
Climate-resilient

plan