Ernst-Abbe-Platz: Design competition for the redesign

How can Ernst-Abbe-Platz - the heat hotspot in the heart of the city of Jena - be redesigned? An open space planning competition is currently being held to answer this question. In the first phase, 39 landscape architecture firms applied to take part. From this pool of applicants, 20 will now be selected to take on the design task. The needs and ideas submitted by citizens at a participation workshop and via the city of Jena's participation platform (mitmachen.jena.de) last year will serve as the basis for this.

"The redesign of Ernst-Abbe-Platz is a long-cherished wish of the city of Jena and I am delighted that we are now taking a decisive step towards a more attractive and climate-friendly city with the design competition. Back in 2012, we received ideas for redesigning the square through a competition held at the time. With the funding now available, we had to ask ourselves whether the results from 2012 still reflect the spirit of the times after 12 years. The square is of central importance to our cityscape and it is time to give it a sophisticated, sustainable and innovative design. With fresh ideas and the creative input of young planning offices, we want to turn Ernst-Abbe-Platz into a lively place that meets the needs of the citizens as well as the challenges of climate change. As a city, we also want to do our part to further improve study conditions in Jena," explains Mayor and Head of Urban Development and Environment Christian Gerlitz.

The jury will meet in May 2025 to award prizes to the best entries in the competition. This will be followed by a public exhibition of all entries. According to the current schedule, the redesign will be completed between 2026 and 2027. It is possible thanks to funding from the federal program "Adaptation of urban and rural areas to climate change".