A new Landscape for the New Hydropower
Plant Hagneck in Switzerland
Raymond Vogel Landschaften AG
full of suspense between extensively
and intensively used and maintained
environments.
The main focus is on the modeling of the
terrain, the spacial sequence of the woods
and the views in the landscape near the
lake. The greater meaning of the new weir
system is its influence to the landscape
of the Lake of Biel. The vastness of the
water surface allows a great impression of
the St. Peter’s Island, the vineyards of the
left lakeside and the mountain Chasseral.
One goal of the competition team was
the low and compact appearance of the
hydropower plant. Thus the building is
excellently embedded in the context of
the landscape.
W
inner of American
Architecture Prize 2016,
Raymond Vogel Landschaften
AG designed and constructed
a completely new landscape around the
new Hydropower Plant in Hagneck, Lake of
Biel/Switzerland.
Historical context
The Aare Channel at the Lake of Biel /
Switzerland is a very specific landscape,
historically important and forward-
looking.
About 130 years ago the first Jura Water
Correctionbrought the precondition for a
new delta of the river Aare at the lake of
Biel. The aim of this huge project was the
gain of fertile soil around the three lakes
in this area. An important part of this work
was the construction of new channels,
one of them is the Hagneck channel that
detours the river Aare into the Lake of Biel.
The enormous efforts shaped the form of
the landscape fundamentally and built
an overall appearance of the locality of
national importance.
The Project
Away from settlements and traffic, behind
the molasse hill lays the Hagneck delta
with the hydropower plant in the natural
76 Landscape & Urban Design
landscape. The historically significant
place at the lake of Biel is now being
adapted to current requirements, the old
overgrown cultural landscape is being
enhanced and the existing qualities taken
care of.
The project is one of the first
contemporary examples in Switzerland
how the landscape of infrastructure
facilities is becoming a landscape park for
recreation.
In this way this project exemplifies the
future landscape development in densely
populated areas and countries.
This context is the foundation for the
design concept. Nature and landscape are
configured and structured in the sense of
a landscape park. There is no separation between man
and nature, as man is a part of nature.
Sometimes, human beings use their free
will to choose separation from nature.
Nature protection areas, nature
preservation areas, recreation areas
and working areas build sequences This is the attitude behind this project,
reflected in the respectful and sensitive
design of the new landscape. Life quality