St Stephen's church square officially opened
Steeped in history and as good as new: the remodelled church square
After a year of construction and more than 10 years of planning, the 3,200 square metre church square of the St. Stephen's provost church now shines like new.
"The barrier-free redesign of the important historical nucleus of the city of Beckum represents another important milestone in urban planning and the creative upgrading of the city centre after the market square renovation. I am therefore particularly pleased that the historically significant square and its surroundings are shining in new splendour just in time for Beckum's 800th birthday,
explained Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich during the inauguration ceremony last Saturday.
The two historic squares in the centre now form a single unit with a high quality of stay, embedding the city museum in the old town hall and moving the provost church closer to the centre. The church square will become more visible and more involved in public life. The successful remodelling thus does justice to the historical significance of the church square.
As the Kirchplatz street and the pathway to the north of the church square were also renovated, everything looks as if it has been cast from a single mould. The same concrete paving stones and natural stone slabs were used on the surfaces as on the redesigned market square with slightly different formats. The area is bordered by a 220 metre long bronze band with texts and the word "peace" in 27 languages. Permeable, so-called "cat's head paving" was laid in the niches of the church so that additional moisture is supplied to the foundations of the church. Three lawns totalling 390 square metres were laid on the north side.
The 2.40 metre high sky mirror made of natural stone with a dammed-up water surface attracts everyone's attention next to the transition to the market square and creates a connection between heaven and earth. 22 benches invite visitors to linger, while a 1.5 tonne granite boulder invites children to take a spin. In addition to 2 showcases, a large digital information board provides the church community with the opportunity to disseminate news. When events take place on the market square, the church square will in future serve as a barrier-free alternative location for the weekly market.
In the "Garden of Remembrance" to the east, the public can experience that the church square was once a cemetery. The enclosed area offers the opportunity for peace and contemplation.
In the course of the archaeological monitoring by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe, around 220 skeletons were uncovered and documented.
The construction of new storage channels with a retention volume of around 43 cubic metres, a new drainage system in the area of the northern path as well as terrain modelling and gutters will provide the adjacent properties with better protection from heavy rainfall events in future. The lime tree wreath was preserved and extended by a newly planted lime tree.
To illuminate the church square and the church, 16 pole-mounted luminaires and 32 ground luminaires were installed. Two of the lights are each equipped with a WLAN transmitter to ensure good WLAN reception. There are also 13 bicycle racks and 4 litter bins.
The measure is part of the "Integrated action and measures concept for Beckum town centre". The redesign of the eligible expenditure was subsidised with urban development funds amounting to 70 percent. The parish is contributing around 680,000 euros to the costs.
Facts and figures:
- Three construction phases with a total area of 3,800 square metres were defined: the Kirchplatz road, the pathway north of the Kirchplatz and the Kirchplatz itself.
- Construction period: May 2023 to May 2024
- Propsteigasse will be developed as the 4th section together with an as yet undeveloped part of Kirchplatz in 2025.
- The contract awarded to the company STRATIEF GmbH from Lippstadt for the road construction work and the selective sewer renovation, including all supplementary services (mainly resulting from the archaeological work), amounts to around 3.2 million euros.
- Design planning by the company Brandenfels landscape + environment Münster; implementation planning, tendering and construction management by the engineering office Baumgarten Soest.
- The plans were drawn up in close consultation with the Catholic parish of St Stephanus.
- The measure is part of the "Integrated Action and Measures Concept for the City Centre of Beckum".
- Total area of the construction project: 3,800 square metres (church square: 2,840 square metres, church square street: 560 square metres, northern path connection 400 square metres). The approximately 400 square metres of mosaic paving in front of the main portal is a listed building and is not affected by the project.
- Sky mirror: 0.85 metres high; 2.40 metres in diameter; weighs around 11 tonnes
- Turning stone play equipment: 1.5 tonne granite boulder