Langenthal has shown “the courage to innovate” in order to overcome the closure of the Langenthal porcelain factory at the turn of the millennium, when 1,000 jobs were lost.
Since then, the town has pursued an approach to construction and growth that is characterised by “a pride in its industrial history, good planning and a willingness to engage in dialogue,” according to a statement from the Swiss Heritage Society, which awarded Langenthal its prestigious Wakker Prize for architectural development and preservation
The Swiss Heritage Society praised Langenthal for taking systematic inventory lists of factory areas, worker settlements, public buildings and villa complexes and codifying them as central anchor points for future developments. It also pointed out how, on the site of the former porcelain factory, the town requires that investors demonstrate “responsibility and an overall view in the development of new values”. In return, the town of Langenthal brings expertise and money into a process that is intended to “ensure quality and long-term viability”.
For important neighbourhoods that are to undergo densification, a system has been established whereby experts in urban planning and preservation support architects and investors as early as the brainstorming stage, and not just when the building application is submitted. This makes it possible to clarify interests and wishes from the very beginning.
“In recent years, the city of Langenthal has made significant investments in revaluating public spaces in the town centre and along important axes,” the Swiss Heritage Society said. In addition, various school buildings and the theatre have been renovated.
