The people of Ellwangen had to remove a few obstacles to create their current market square. These included the long row of trees that blocked the view of the basilica and buildings on the edge of the square, the sprawling roadway and even a former cemetery. In fact, the urban space was difficult to experience and the remnants could only be used to a limited extent. An ideas competition finally provided the solution and placed the church with the canons' houses in an attractive position. The landscape architects developed the surface concept using large-format shell limestone slabs and specially developed concrete blocks with an almost identical appearance.