The town of Aarau is framed by a green belt following the River Aare, leading past Schlossplatz (“castle square”) to Kasinopark and to the historic city moat, accentuating the boundary between old town and 19th Century expansion. A small street leads the visitor from the river and its green belt through a steep, lush, and light-flooded passage, to emerge on Schlossplatz. The extension of the , which sits on the square, is the impetus for a renewed urban development of the area.

The new landscape design offers a quiet yet generous connection from the square to the old town through Laurenzenvorstadt. The Schlossplatz is already clearly framed on one side by existing buildings. In the direction of Laurenzenvorstadt, a thickening of the green edge melds with the Casino grounds. This relationship is supported by the generous new staircase, which elegantly compensates for the difference in heights between Schlossplatz and the park, thus expanding the forecourt of the city museum. The new design gives the Schlossplatz and its open surroundings an unmistakable character, strengthening its identity within the city. While it embraces the challenge of offering a new model for urban development, the project also maintains deep links to its heritage and history.