Architect
products & services
paving-stones ● slabs ● special-elements ● water-elements
Location
Am Markt / Claussstraße, 09557 Flöha, Germany
A lively urban area needs a market square – however, Flöha lacked such a central focus for a long time, as the town grew out of the merger of several villages. Only through the transformation of the historical cotton mill “Alte Baumwolle” (Old Cotton Mill) has the first market square in the town’s history now been created.
Following the factory’s closure, a deserted industrial wasteland was initially left behind in the heart of the urban area. Based on the master plan of the same name, the municipality eventually initiated the transformation and gradually gave the listed halls new purposes: the town library and event hall moved into the “Wasserbau” (Water Building), the former twisting mill houses a daycare center, the “Neubau” (New Building) serves as a shopping center, and the administrative office building functions as the town hall.
The municipality took an exceptionally careful approach when developing the new square space: through the participation process “Unser Marktplatz” (Our Market Square), the ideas of local residents were directly incorporated into the project brief, which served as the basis for commissioning the landscape architecture firm Lohaus · Carl · Köhlmos with the open space planning. The resulting design picks up on the raw aesthetics of the surrounding industrial architecture, combining them with the functional and microclimatic requirements of a modern, future-proof urban space.
BESCO supplied belgrano® paving surfaces featuring a coordinated color palette of gray, yellow, and red. The warm red and yellow tones aesthetically echo the clinker facades of the historic mill buildings, extending their vertical materiality into the horizontal plane. The neutral gray acts as a visual base against which the historic building structures unfold their urban impact. To differentiate traffic and pedestrian flows, small-format paved areas give way to more generous belgrano® granite slabs along the stroll avenues and seating areas.
A special architectural detail is the flush-mounted water feature. It follows the path of the millrace, which runs underground at this point. Once serving as the original drive shaft, the water set the spinning mill’s machinery into motion. BESCO supplied custom-made belgrano® natural stone elements precisely tailored for this landscape design accent. On warm summer days, the water feature becomes a place for play and cooling off, making the new market square a vibrant part of the town center.
For the furnishing and contouring of the market square, BESCO supplied sculpturally shaped seating elements as well as platform components made of belgrano® granite. The free-standing benches with their striking Z-shape combine ergonomics with a minimalist, massive design language. These elements are complemented by precisely crafted granite blocks, which serve as raised pedestals for presenting artworks including the two-meter-high sculpture “French Miner and Flöha Female Spinner” as well as the bronze sculpture “The Bathers” by Freiberg artist Gottfried Kohl.
On December 6, 2025, the market square was officially handed over for its intended purpose. With this opening, Flöha has not only completed an urban development project, but above all gained a true central heartbeat. Where standstill prevailed for decades, a thoroughly vibrant place stands today. The belgrano® natural stone provides this communal gathering space with a durable, characterful foundation built to last for generations.
Find out more about the use and range of applications of natural stone.
Pedestrian zones & city squares
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