Launch of the RELIEFS URBAINS design studio in St. Gallen

At a time of climate emergency and contraction of available resources, the architectural project has a central role in the search for alternatives to urban sprawl. It allows for the regeneration and densification of buildings near public transport and, more broadly, the inclusion of good construction practices within the transition dynamics towards a low-carbon society. In the Swiss context, a large part of the urbanized areas is on slopes, which generates multiple challenges in terms of building and mobility. The implantation of buildings and the creation of public spaces are confronted with unavoidable questions regarding the relationship to the ground level and the minimization of soil excavation. In terms of mobility, it is a matter of rediscovering and revaluing electric transport techniques, specifically adapted to the slope, developed before the hegemony of the car.

Located in the eastern part of the city of St. Gallen, on Freudenberg hill, the site selected for the 2025–2026 studio is anchored by an intermediate station of the Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen railroad. Currently, the site is occupied by a large water reservoir at the top and residential complexes below, which exhibit limited interaction with the surrounding public space. It is defined as much by its fragmented building morphology as by the quality of its visual openings—both of which invite architectural reflection on its potential future.

Positioned between utopia and realism, this resolutely forward-looking approach envisions the complete urban regeneration of an already artificialized site. The RELIEFS URBAINS Studio will explore — through the architectural project — the many challenges and opportunities such a site presents. Particular attention will be given to intermediate housing, as well as to the landscaping and integration of public spaces in response to the site’s unique characteristics.