Bochum lettering on the A40: Does Bochum need landmarks?

The city council has instructed the administration to examine. the extent to which a recognizable landmark, e.g. with the Bochum logo and the word “Bochum”, can be set up at three to four points in the city (on cycle paths, motorways, railway lines, etc.) in such a way that the lettering represents a brand message for Bochum. Does that make sense or are there better, more sustainable ideas?

If non-residents drive through Bochum on the motorways or the train lines, the city looks pretty inconspicuous to bleak from the car or train, if you can even tell that you are driving through Bochum and not Essen or Dortmund.

“Bochum” lettering and a city center that is “instagrammable”

That should change according to the will of the SPD, CDU and the Greens, they want to put up clearly visible “Bochum” lettering or similar at several points (Application 20210821).

In Bochum there is also a lack of “instagrammable” points, at least that’s how Bochum Marketing sees it. The city needs more places in front of which visitors to the city can take a photo for Instagram, where everyone immediately recognizes that it was taken in Bochum. Apart from the bell in front of the town hall, the city lacks such spots.

In many cities around the world, from Riga to Amsterdam to Tokyo, there are lettering with the city name, in front of which tourists like to be photographed. The idea is not new, not even innovative, but it works. However, it is doubtful whether it makes sense to put such lettering in the landscape in the most diverse, particularly visible places. That would look more like the city lacks truly unique architectural landmarks, which is why they had to be labeled everywhere.

What is the quality of a landmark?

Landmarks are mostly conspicuous, widely visible topographical objects such as mountains, churches, towers, castles or other striking buildings. In Bochum, for example, the Zechenturm of the mining museum, the Hollandturm or the eccentric house. Landmarks have or mostly had an everyday use, e.g. as a former part of an industrial plant or as an office building. Due to their special design, they have a high recognition value and are in a place where they can be seen from all directions. So lettering with the city name on a heap or on buildings does not go far enough.

Rather, it makes sense to design buildings or infrastructure objects near motorways and central railway axes so that they are permanently remembered by passers-by and make the city recognizable again. Whenever such an architectural landmark comes into view, it should call to mind the up-and-coming metropolis of Bochum. The aim of the city should be to shine with exemplary architectural landmarks instead of trying to make up for the low visual attractiveness of run-of-the-mill architecture with marketing lettering. The city’s money is better and more sustainable invested in architectural substance than in beautifully designed advertising signs with city names.

Which places in Bochum are ideal for architectural landmarks?

For such architecturally exemplary landmarks, there are two special objects that are to be built in Bochum over the next few years.

Places for possible landmarks

On the one hand, this is the bridge for the cycle expressway and possibly a regiotram line (Train connection for Leithe and Günnigfeld), which should lead directly to the east of Westkreuz via the A40.

On the other hand, the development at the Wattenscheider train station, which is to be built between the railway line and the A40. At this point, the planners have already considered a high-rise building (Planning Mäckler Bahnhofsquartier), which, with a correspondingly unique architectural design, could become a landmark that can be seen from afar.

Development proposal for the Wattenscheid station district

The same applies to the aforementioned cycle expressway and Regiotram bridge over the A40, which could be designed in such a way that it is visible over the entire Westkreuz. In addition to the ore railway swing arm, another remarkable bridge construction could become a highlight that will be associated with the name Bochum in the future. If you have wanted to spice up the desolate concrete bridges with slogans that are rather incomprehensible to outsiders, the new bridge could in itself become a real technical and architectural eye-catcher.

Visitors were happy to be photographed for Instagram in unique places and swings

In the city center, the city could well put up a “Bochum” logo. But does this make Rathausplatz, Dr.-Ruer-Platz or Buddenbergplatz just a touch more attractive? No, they remained as bleak as ever. Well-designed squares with unique, recognizable views would be attractive over the long term. Increase the flair and ambience, but a run-of-the-mill square design with “Bochum” lettering does not really help the city center. The recognizable Instagram photo from Bochum is not enough as advertising, it also has to say that a visit to the city is worthwhile, because there are exciting places and things to see that, if possible, also look something special.

Swings – photo spots for Instagram, example Montreal

The ones from the CITY DESIGNERS proposed swings along the boulevard (Swings for the city center), would represent an eye-catcher, on which many visitors would like to be photographed for Instagram. The swings could easily be marketed as an unmistakable city hallmark and, with appropriate lettering, also made recognizable for Bochum.

Overall, care should be taken with both the landmarks and photogenic Instagram spots that they are not purely marketing objects, but that the city with its unique and sustainable architecture scores with landmarks that are visible from afar and is not only recognizable in photo spots in the city center that they are in Bochum, but also that these spots encourage visitors to visit the photographed location in Bochum because it looks so exciting on Instagram.

The CITY DESIGNERS

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