From Studio Düsburg, a studio for experimental architecture, comes an interesting architecture project that deals with the re-intergration and transformation of former industrial areas into modern lifestyle and culture.

The “Autobahn 59″ is a highway built in the sixties and connects parts of the Rhein-Ruhr-Area in North-South direction. Even today it is a construction of high technical standard, because a lot of parts of the highway are bridges. Near to the exit Duisburg-Marxloh there used to be a railroad bridge. When the railroad track went out of use they reconstructed the bridge and the two bridgeheads were left over.

For us these two left over bridgeheads seamed to be a symbolic picture for the condition of the Rhein-Ruhr-Area today. So we created “düsburg-beach” to transform the situation. A left over situation of industrial regress is changed into a glamorous urban cultural situation. düsburg-beach are two swimming pools made of refined steel, which stand in line of the former railway. The sides of the two pools which reach out into the highway are made of glass. Also there are two containers for the infrastructure of the pools, and on top of the containers are recreation areas and deck chairs.

A wonderful scenery could be for instance in the evening. Car drivers on the highway can see swimming and diving people on each side of the highway. düsburg-beach gives new identity to the region and is a connection of directions, levels, identities, speeds and motions.

A remarkable idea. The swimming pool offers a fresh contrast to the monotony of the grey highway. Imagine what the cars sound like when you hear them while you are diving under the water. As a highway is a bit like a river that is floating through the landscape, the adaption seems to make sense. What happens with the distracted traffic on the street is another issue… .