Zwiegespräche

" Designing multi-layered productive landscapes "

The outcome of the first Jura water correction, which involved straightening the course of the former meandering Zihl river and lowering the average lake levels, is a predominantly cultivated landscape. This starkly contrasts with the more dynamic wetlands along the silted-up lake shores and the old Zihl arm. In “Zwiegespräche”, the corset of the Zihl canal is alternately loosened to enhance its water capacity. This allows a continuous natural expansion of the wetlands throughout the valley, creating diverse habitats for both humans and animals. As a result of the initial plantings, an arm of trees emerges in response to the changed soil conditions. On the cultivated land side, the Zihl is accompanied by a dam, that in conjunction with the revised inland canal infrastructure and pumping stations, enables a more direct control over the water balance and facilitates the cultivation of a wide variety of plants. These two topographical interventions align with the linear transport infrastructures in the valley and oscillate around the existing Zihl canal. Additionally, a wind power plant overlay contributes to the production of renewable energy. Furthermore, the long-term plan involves replacing the existing facilities of the last Swiss oil refinery with a wood processing industry. The exaggeration of the existing spatial qualities, through contradictory, mutually fertilizing interactions, is aiming at an emerging, productive landscape with a new identity.