Today my group visited Landschaftspark in Duisburg-Nord. This park was designed by Latz + Partner and includes many interesting design techniques.
The former site of the park was a steel and coal production plant. Most of the industrial past of the park has been left intact and serves as a sort of an exploration playground for visitors. The toxic soils have been cleaned with phytoremediation (cleaned through planting specific plants that absorb toxins through their roots and stabilize the existing soils).
We walked around the park, slid down the huge slide, climbed on the rockwall (former slag holding area), and climbed way up the former blast furnace. Some areas are more heavily designed than others, such as a garden area with pockets for different types of play, and pathways for controlled access.
I enjoyed spending my time at this park! I am excited, because we are going back again tomorrow (our last day of class) to conduct some research about tree growth!
So far, the parks that we have seen in Germany have honored and celebrated the post industrial past of the land. It is interesting to see how Germans view the industry history as part of the landscape fabric and pay closer attention to the types of plants that grow in those spaces in their design thinking.
I hope to apply what I have learned here in Germany to some of my future designs back home in the USA.
Leave a Reply