Author: Land8: Landscape Architects Network

Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum Landscape Design, by H+N+S Landscape Architects in the Former Airbase Soesterberg, the Netherlands. War is a painful, devastating, and dynamic situation. Maintaining the memory of such events is hard, yet necessary in order to protect the next generations from repeating the mistakes of the past. This should be the purpose of a war museum nowadays. The landscape design for the Netherlands Army Museum and the Netherlands Air Force Museum sheds a new light on the concept of memory and provides a new perception regarding our notions of war, history, and the armed forces.

Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum

The complex that houses both museums is located in the facilities of a former military airbase called Soesterberg. The location bears traces of World War II history and NATO use, and also maintains important natural qualities. What is truly fascinating about this project is that what once used to be part of the military facilities has been restored into a natural reservoir. It appears as if nature has taken its toll over human action. The museum complex seen from above seems to have been invaded by the adjacent forest and heath. This coexistence forms a dynamic relationship between the building and its surroundings, which gives more emphasis to the museums’ character.

The intervention has dealt with the following issues:

• Forming the museums’ surroundings as well as interesting vistas toward the landscape from the building’s interior, also serving to complement the museums’ exhibitions.
• Creating access to the museum complex.
• Preserving and restoring the important traces of the military base.
• Allocating a monument, a memorial garden, and a 3,000-person arena.
• Restoring the 45-hectare area and creating a sustainable sylvan ecosystem.

The museum complex is divided into three terraces. Each terrace has a special function. The top of the hill is a natural landmark surrounded by a heath valley. On the middle terrace — where the visitor arrives — the history of the area is displayed. The museum complex itself has been situated near the runways. The arena is on the lowest level, and there is a memorial area with garden and plaza on the east side.

Preserving History Through Design The structure of the former military base has been preserved. Elements such as the gabions wall that was originally used for military purposes now forms part of the retaining walls. Crumbled remnants of a hangar entry platform have been left onsite to recall a trace of the past. This gesture gives destruction an almost poetic dimension. A new interpretation of military elements redeems them from their former role and invents a new use for them. Related Articles: 

• Beautiful Plaza Celebrates Canadian Landscape
• Perez Art Museum Embraces the Landscape Inside and Out
• Ceramic Museum and Mosaic Garden

The Style of Planting  The planting scheme plays an important role in the intervention. An inviting and ecologically significant forest has been developed around the museum complex. The innovative planting plan was put together in collaboration with forest ecologists and was inspired by natural forest dynamics. The Purpose of the Memorial Garden The memorial and the memorial garden have been clearly outlined in the master plan. This is an introverted open space that allows for reflection and silence. The planting scheme bears various connotations that enhance the strong symbolism of the garden. The monument is surrounded by a large, round taxus hedge. The robust form of the hedge creates a sense of enclosure while being outdoors. Along the hedge, a planted area with borders in color palettes has been created. The blooming color variations tell a story that leads from war, which is red, via emotions, noted with purple, toward reflection colored with blue, and finally reaching peace that has been marked with white. The museum complex entryway is elevated above the ground. It seems that one has to become detached from the surroundings in order to enter the museums. This sense of transcendence can also be observed in the elevated entry bridge in the fern garden. Visitors cross the landscape, yet they are not part of it. This design gesture seems to me like introducing war history and characteristics to people, but keeping them at a safe distance from this narrative. It is an almost dramatic aspect of the intervention.

Netherlands Army Museum and Netherlands Air Force Museum

This project has managed to reveal beauty where beauty was hard to find. It has not evaded the context and the history of the place, nor did it turn away from the negative tension that the memory of war bears. The Netherlands Army Museum and the Netherlands Air Force Museum Landscape Design has taken context, history, nature, and landscape narrative a step further. Recommended Reading:

• 100 Landmarks of the World: A Journey to the Most Fascinating Landmarks Around the Globe by Parragon Books
• Public Art: Theory, Practice and Populism by Cher Krause Knight

Article by Eleni Tsirintani Return to Homepage

Atlantic Park by Battle I Roig Arquitectes, Santander, Spain. Atlantic Park is a recently constructed urban park in the city of Santander, on Spain’s northern coast. The design, by Batlle I Roig, combines elements of ecological restoration and urban community parks. Batlle I Roig Arquitectes is a multidisciplinary architecture, planning, and landscape design firm based in Barcelona, Spain. The firm’s portfolio boasts a huge variety of projects, ranging from large-scale environmental restorations to the design of schools and social housing.

Atlantic Park

When it comes to landscape, the firm combines its philosophy of ecologically sustainable design with its signature clean and contemporary aesthetic. Its work often includes unique architectural elements integrated seamlessly into the landscape. The Effects of Human Intervention The Vaguada de las Llamas is a low, marshy riverbed area. Once a river that flowed into the Atlantic Ocean, as the city of Santander grew and expanded, the Vaguada de las Llamas was cut off from the coast by the development of the surrounding areas. The remaining area — the river’s deepest section — was not suitable for development and was simply left as a low, wet area. Ironically, this human intervention ended up creating a unique ecology onsite. The marshy, stagnant riverbed created by blocking the river’s flow was colonized by unique species of reeds. However, as the city continued to grow, the area became increasingly inaccessible and invisible to the public. With a major highway at one end of the site, it soon became an ideal place for dumping. The site fell into a state of complete neglect, polluted and degraded. From Community Dump to Community Park Not suitable for development, but also unacceptable in its current state, the area was set aside by Santander’s City Council for redevelopment into a park. One purpose of the redevelopment was to address the immediate environmental issues on site. The site had become not only an eyesore, but extremely polluted and degraded, risking loss of its unique biodiversity. The site also holds a significant position in the city. Adjacent to a university campus and residential neighborhood, the site had the potential to become a focal point for the surrounding communities. The Design Challenge The challenge for Batlle I Roig was to come up with a design that addressed the community needs while still protecting the ecology of the site. To achieve this, the park has been divided into different zones.These three areas are each characterized by their use, character, and planting scheme and are divided by the park’s topography. The lowest areas, including the riverbed itself and an artificial lake, are not directly accessible to the public and are filled with wetland plants. Visitors can get close to these areas via the raised walkways that cross through, without disturbing these ecosystems. The highest level is dedicated primarily to human use, with paths, playgrounds, and grassy areas. This area includes unique features such as an outdoor amphitheater and botanical gardens, making it a great area for university and community gatherings. Between the two is the sloping transitional area, called the “Atlantic zone.” This area acts as a protective buffer between the ecological and community areas, as well as a space for existing plants to expand and colonize. This area is accessible to visitors but emphasizes passive recreation, with seating and pathways. Opening up the Riverbed The network of pathways, raised bridges, and bicycle paths have opened up the site, facilitating easier movement between the university campus and the nearby residential neighborhoods while leaving ecological integrity of the site intact. Other Related Articles: 

• Exceptional Ecological Park Reconnects Children With Nature
• 5 Great Ecological Powerhouses of Landscape Architecture
• Giant Sized Pergola Creates Ecological Haven

An artificial lake was also created as part of the design. The lake acts as a reservoir for runoff, an expansion of the marshy habitat, and as a visual focal point in the park.

Inspired by Nature The park’s planting scheme is adapted specifically to both regional and onsite conditions, emphasizing plant species native to the Atlantic coast. The layout of the park is highly deliberate, drawing inspiration from the morphology of the Atlantic Ocean and coastal ecosystems. Even the pathway configuration makes reference to trading routes crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Overall, the park leaves quite a visual impression. The contemporary architectural elements, including the pathways and bridges, are contrasted with an extremely naturalized setting. Simple materials in bold forms create a unique experience for the user.

Balancing Community with Ecology through Atlantic Park

Batlle I Roig’s design for Atlantic Park aims to transform an unused and unloved dumping ground into a vibrant public space that serves the community’s needs while still protecting the area’s unique ecology. The new design has significantly opened up access to the Vaguada de las Llamas riverbed, letting locals access what was closed off for decades and putting a stop to much of the illegal dumping that had degraded the site for years. The project is a reminder that human and ecological use don’t necessarily have to be at odds with one another. As designers, finding creative ways to balance our responsibility to the environment with community needs is key to creating successful and sustainable urban spaces. Awards: Finalist for the FAD 2007 Awards Recommended Reading: 

• Basics Landscape Architecture 02: Ecological Design by Nancy Rottle
• Principles of Ecological Landscape Design by Travis Beck

Article by Michelle Biggs Return to Homepage

We take a closer look at the highly controversial topic of fracking. This is a great chance to delve into a truly hot topic that leaves nobody indifferent. You have probably heard about the controversial energy technique known as “fracking”, which is being used more and more often around the world. What exactly is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing allows us to access shale gas, which is mainly methane locked in a deeper rock stage beneath the Earth’s surface. The process consists of drilling vertical wells that turn horizontal underground, opening tiny fractures in deep rocks into which high-pressure chemical fluids are injected. The gas then escapes through the fractures and is collected to be used as an energy source.

Fracking

WATCH ME: Fracking explained: opportunity or danger

Here we have prepared a list of carefully chosen points about the fracking phenomenon. What do the numbers tell us about water safety? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one fracture could require the use of 2 million to 5 million gallons of fresh water from the nearby area. During the process, more than 315 tons of toxic chemicals are mixed with the water to form the fracking fluids. In the end, waste fluid is supposed to be removed to open pits or tanks, but the EPA says 20 percent to 85 percent remains underground, resulting in the possible contamination of drinking water sources.

Looking closely at the chemicals Here we have one of the most sensitive questions about fracking fluids. More than 700 known chemicals are involved in the process, and more than 4 percent of them are regulated under SDWA and Clean Air Act standards or marked as carcinogens. These include methanol, benzene, and toulene. “secret trade.” But what is even more perplexing, a congressional report found that more than 11 percent of chemicals used in fracking are unidentified components hidden behind a “secret trade” label. WATCH ME: Fracking Hell: The Untold Story

See more energy related articles:

• Pavegen: Using the Pavement to Generate Energy
• Will These Solar Roadways Change The World?
• The Secrets Behind the Smart Highway

The background of the fracking boom The technique as we currently know it is only 16 years old. It was developed in Barnett, Texas after Mitchell Energy spent almost 20 years improving the process of accessing shale gas. The company first applied hydraulic fracturing technology successfully in 1999, but it took three more years for general industry to look at fracking as a large-scale and advantageous method of extracting the gas. The sustainable footprint According to the U.S. Energy Information Association, the United States could be energy self-sufficient by 2035 because of its shale gas reserves, which are supposed to reduce dioxide carbon emissions to the atmosphere. However, because fracking activity produces methane leaks, being 25 times more toxic than carbon dioxide, and coal production would be available to export, the sustainability factor may be misleading. How fracking transforms landscapes On average, each well translates to ground consumption and heavy truck traffic. The associated facilities redraw undeveloped natural habitats into fragmented industrial scenery, like this one in Wyoming. Those cleared lands also have knocked on the door of protected public fields, such as Theodore Roosevelt National Park  in North Dakota and other high-value places for wildlife and nature conservation. WATCH ME: A Boom With No Boundaries: How Drilling Threatens Theodore Roosevelt National Park

World map of shale gas As this EIA report reveals, China, Argentina, and Algeria lead the shale gas geography in terms of recoverable reserves. However, they do not have suitable infrastructure and technology to take advantage of the potential yet, so the United States jumps into the first position at the moment, attracting special attention to the Marcellus Shale formation.

Could fracking become greener?

Innovative alternatives are needed, and one of them proposes using biodegradable polymers in fracking fluids to prevent residues from remaining underground. The University of British Columbia also is studying an interesting method to reuse wastewater and produce salts for the fracking process out of carbon dioxide. Most unexplored reserves of shale gas are under our feet. But it is important to keep our eyes up to look at the most unexplored effects of fracking on our landscapes. Recommended Reading: 

• The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World by Russell Gold
• Snake Oil: How Fracking’s False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future by  Richard Heinberg

Article by Elisa Garcia. Return to Homepage Featured image: Print screen from Youtube video: Fracking explained: opportunity or danger

Chicago City Hall Green Roof by Atelier Dreiseitl and Conservation Design Forum. The typical image we all have of a city is of towering high-rise blocks, densely packed tarred streets and a generally hard urban environment. Nature is isolated in manicured green parks or in linear rows of gray-looking trees. The city is perhaps the furthest thing from a natural environment and the closest thing to an urban desert. But what if we begin to green this concrete jungle? Projects such as the High Line in New York have shown this can be done, and the wave of vertical green walls has created a new ecological fashion statement. There is, however, one method that trumps all of this in terms of long-term benefits: green roofs.

Chicago City Hall Green Roof

Urban Heat Island Effect The city of Chicago was forced to consider this option after a heat wave in 1995 claimed a number of lives due to extreme inner city temperatures. These extreme temperatures were caused by the “Urban Heat Island effect”, in which heat in the city is absorbed by pavements, buildings, and asphalt. Stormwater in Chicago is also a major problem because the city’s stormwater and sewage systems are combined. This means that during a downpour, the system is overwhelmed, resulting in overflows and sewage pollution.

Urban Heat Island Initiative With this in mind, the Urban Heat Island Initiative was launched. It didn’t take long to realize that the city’s lack of green space combined with the need to deal with stormwater meant that the best option to deal with the Urban Heat Island effect was to add green roofs. The pilot project for the initiative was earmarked for the 11-story Chicago City Hall and was completed in 2000. This building was structurally ideal, as the roof was initially built to receive additional floors. It also provided a good scientific comparison, because only half of the symmetrical roof was to be planted, leaving the other half in its original black tar state. The idea was to use the project to test the benefits of green roofs on air temperature, air quality, and stormwater absorption. Planting the Chicago City Hall roof The City Hall roof garden is an example of intensive and extensive roof garden technology where the growing medium varies from 76 mm (extensive) to 600 mm (intensive) in depth. This allowed for a variety of plants to be included in the study, from low-growing sedums and grasses to medium-sized shrubs. Green Roof Related Articles: 

• Why Should You Have a Grass Roof?
• A Roof Garden That’s so Good, You Might Want to Work There!
• WARNING: Why You’re Losing Money By Not Using a Green Roof

Trees are usually not included in roof gardens due to their extreme weight and depth requirements, but the intensive design accommodated two trees that were planted on cantilevered platforms over structural columns. In total, 20 000 plants of more than 150 indigenous species were planted in the 1,885-square-meter roof garden.

Roof Garden Design The design of the garden was developed by Conservation Design Forum, which responded to the historical nature of the building by creating a symmetrical design and dividing the garden into regular shapes. The roof garden was not intended for public access, and thus the design focused on providing a functional green space that was aesthetically pleasing from above, with simple circular pavers providing access to the garden for maintenance. The design of the waterproofing systems for a roof garden is critical to ensure that the roof is protected from water and invasive roots. The City Hall design opted for a base of Sika Sarnafil’s Loose Laid Waterproofing System, which was easy to install over the existing surface and acted as a leveling layer. This layer then received various layers of extruded polystyrene insulation and separator sheets followed by the roof membrane on top. An additional protection layer was laid on top of the roof membrane, followed by the additional insulation of a filter layer and finally the growing medium with erosion blankets to keep the soil in place. Cost Vs. Long-Term Benefits While installing a green roof can cost two or three times more than a conventional roof, its benefits outweigh the initial costs, and it can be a lot cheaper in the long run due to energy savings. Green roofs improve air quality, conserve energy, reduce stormwater runoff, and create natural habitat. The Chicago City Hall green roof is a perfect example of this, and the monitoring of data on the roof has clearly indicated that the green roof has managed to not only reduce the Urban Heat Island effect, but has created numerous other benefits. Data has shown that on average, the roof is seven degrees cooler than the surrounding roofs, that it can retain 75 percent of rainwater, that it has reduced energy consumption of the building by more than $5,000 a year, and that it has reduced noise pollution by as much as 40 decibels. The green roof has also produced a thriving plant population that not only provides habitat for various insects and birds, but filters pollution from the air. A number of beehives have even been included on the roof, providing habitat for a highly endangered insect while creating a productive rooftop landscape. Chicago’s Green Roof Initiative The success of City Hall’s green roof has led to Chicago establishing its own Green Roof Initiative, in which more than 200 vegetated roofs have been planted in the city. One of the most famous is Millennium Park, which is so large (almost 10 hectares) that it’s more of a park than a garden! So perhaps we can’t win the fight between the city and the natural environment, but we definitely can use green roofs to begin to naturalize cities and create a new urban and green landscape.

Chicago City Hall Green Roof

Additional project credits: Recognition: ASLA Merit Award for Design 2002; IL-ASLA Honor Award for Design 2002; World Wildlife Fund (WWF) National Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 Project Team: Weston Solutions – Project Lead, Project Management. McDonough + Partners – Architect. Atelier Dreiseitl – Green Roof Engineering. Bennett and Brosseau – Roofing Contractor. RoofMeadow (formerly Roofscapes) – Green Roof System. Intrinsic Landscape – Planting Installation. Greencorps Chicago– Long-term Landscape Maintenance Recommended Reading:

• The Green Roof Manual: A Professional Guide to Design, Installation, and Maintenance by Linda McIntyre
• Green Roof Construction and Maintenance (GreenSource Books) (McGraw-Hill’s Greensource) by Kelly Luckett

Article by Rosemary Buchanan. Return to Homepage

This week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10. Here we go with 10 enthusiastic, talented Sketch-Stars that have submitted their handy work to the office for this week’s Sketchy Saturday. In this week’s top 10 we see a range of styles, and levels of creativity which show that risk-taking is involved in getting your message across. Each sketch is as unique as a fingerprint and is almost like the artist’s signature. This is work that not only embodies their skills and creativity, but their experience, passion and thought process. To appreciate a creative piece of work is to open a doorway to understanding the person who created it. A gift that inspires us and connects us to one another. Enjoy this week’s Sketchy Saturday top 10! 10. by Anastasia B. Uli, Master of Sustainable Design UF student, Gainesville FL

“Lilo and Stitch have fun in Disney World” – The idea was to practice my hand sketch ability especially to perform an environment, connection between a (public) space and the people. – Location: Main Street Disney World, Orlando, FL. I love Disney, and Stitch is my favorite character.  TECHNIQUE /Media: Canvas Canson paper, A3 size. Style : Cartoon + Realistic Canvas Drawing – 1. The background building: pencil sketch – 1-point perspective – 2. Acrylic + watercolor (pastel color) – 3. Pencil color for detailing – 4. Ink for shading”. 9. by Mustafa Hadla, architect, from Syria, living and working in Jeddah Ksa “This drawing is for the Farsi Mosque in Jeddah KSA designed by the Miami-based master architect: Abdul Wahid Wakeel it was drawn in freehand with regular pen and then painted with Adobe Photoshop, you can find more about it here: https://archnet.org/sites/577“. 8. by Tarsis Aires, in the last year of the Architecture and Urbanism College (UEMA) in São Luís – MA, Brazil ” I have a group of friends that come out to draw a few times in a month (outdoors) and this drawing is the result of one of these tours. This is the Desterro Church Square, built by slaves in the 17th century, in our city. That day it rained and you can see rain spots on watercolor, which I liked a lot”. 7. by Oana Chiriac, landscape architect, Belgium   “This time the sketches are made for showing the ambiance of the proposition for a small project garden that I had to make for a course in my master program.” 6. by Isa Eren AKBIYIK – Landscape Architect – Nota Design Landscape Architecture Office Owner – Antalya/Turkey “I drew for “Konyaalti Coastal Recreational Ideas Competition” Autoshow exhibition area, this is only a small part of the 8 kilometer coast, 2 point perspective with 0.05 – 0.1 – 0.3 – 0.5 drawing pen on A3 size paper. Marker pen and PS used for brightness and contrast levels. Location – KonyaaltiAntalya/Turkey”. 5. by Ginara Cristina, Architecture student, Bucharest, Romania “This one-point perspective was an assignment, for which I experimented with diluted black, blue and red ink in an attempt to depict the interior ambiance.” 4. by Peter Bonette, Landscape Architect NJ, PA, OH, MD, KY and VA. “This is a concept sketch for a home in South Jersey. It is a new house and it needed some details and a front walk. Wing wall for the house and more walls at the front steps. Near the front, door steps are seated walls for people to chat. The drawing is on trace paper using a marker and colored pencil”. LAN Essential Reading List:

• Freehand Drawing & Discovery by James Richards 
• Drawing for Landscape Architecture by Edward Hutchison
• Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture, second edition

3. by Marika Cieciura, landscape architecture student at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, on the exchange program at South Dakota State University

“The aim of the project was to design a Memorial Garden in Brookings, South Dakota, where we based our design on the quote “When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure”. We decided to create a feel of that treasure in the garden by using the right kind of plants, such as Betula platyphylla ‘Fargo’ (Dakota Pinnacle Birch) giving us a beautiful colour in the fall resembling gold and Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ (Crimson King Maple) with a purple foliage suggesting rubies, as well as the mix of pink and purple wildflowers – the treasure of the prairies. The goal was to celebrate the moments we had with the lost ones instead of surrendering to the sorrow. – Sketches are made with the use of an F and 2H pencil and the addition of ergo soft Staedtler colored pencils. – Team: Annaliese Hoffman, Slade Mutchelknaus, Marika Cieciura.” 2. by Maria Chughtai studying in 3rd year of bachelors in Architecture from LCWU Lahore Pakistan  “I did this sketch as an assignment of Visual Communication in my 1st year of bachelor’s. This drawing features the Tomb of Bibi Jawindie which is located in Uch Sharif, Punjab, Pakistan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I drew the sketch with pencil first over A2 sized Canson sheet then rendered it with black felt tip pens (size 0.2, 0,4 and 0.6mm)”. 1. by Jack Tremblay, Amesbury, ma, USA, Landscape architect for 28 years “It’s a park in Newburyport mass. It was a note card done in the late 80’s to supplement my LA career. Pen and ink, printed on card stock. The original ink paper was called ‘opulux‘ hard to get. It has changed over the years, which makes it special.” – That’s this week’s Sketchy Saturday Top 10, congratulations to all of you who featured, you have come out on top of a very talented bunch of people. Check out the Sketchy Saturday official Facebook album and see literally 1,000′s of incredible sketches! Follow all the winning entries on our dedicated Sketchy Saturday Pinterest page. If you want to take part send your entries to us at office@landarchs.com Recommended reading:

• Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing by 3DTotal
• Architectural Drawing Course by Mo Zell

Article by Scott D. Renwick Return to Homepage

Borås Textile Fashion Center, Simonsland, Skaraborgsvägen, Borås, Sweden by Thorbjorn Andersson with Sweco Architects. 

This remodeled factory building from the 1870s — now the new headquarters for textiles history, research, and higher education — weaves notions from Sweden’s rich textiles tradition into details both large and small. Landscape architect Thorbjorn Andersson with Sweco Architects worked alongside a team of consultants to create the Boras Textile Fashion Center, which opened in September 2013. The Fashion Center merges many major institutions in Sweden’s textiles industry to form a destination, center of activity, and natural meeting place. This mecca of knowledge and business also houses the University of Textile and Fashion, offering a world-class location and facility in which students can learn, research and practice.

Borås Textile Fashion Center

The center is designed to pay homage to the long history of the textiles industry in Sweden. In the front entrance of the university, the floor is laid out as a carpet of stone. Designers used three different colors and types of granite to resemble a weaving pattern developed by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1805.

The space is lined with box-like benches that form a flexible-use area, with an open space in the atrium for displaying student work or gathering for a meeting. By incorporating details of the textiles industry into every aspect of the design both inside and out, the Fashion Center is a living history laboratory. The structure speaks to the history of the industry while students, professors, and professionals carry on research for its future. Taking Advantage of Both the Exterior and the Interior Students and visitors have an opportunity to utilize both interior and exterior spaces for research and studies. The design takes into consideration the users, stakeholders, and adjacent natural resources. The landscape architect worked to program spaces to have multiple uses throughout the site. The dense campus needed connectivity and additional exterior spaces so that activities could flow from the inside out. There is a delicate integration of the site and building, and even an area where walkways outside are suspended in the building’s façade. “A 25-foot-tall sculpture by Jaume Plensa, valued at about 2 million Euros.” Andersson noted that quite far along in the design process, the client received a donation and gift that it could not refuse. A 25-foot-tall sculpture by Jaume Plensa, valued at about 2 million Euros, now needed to be incorporated into the site design. Andersson said this was a major challenge he encountered during the design process. He noted that it was difficult to site the sculpture and truly weave it into the design so late in the process. The sculpture now rests near one of the entrances, marking the gateway to textiles knowledge and innovation. A Unique Connection to Nature Another popular space at the Fashion Center is a new pedestrian bridge with a see-through floor that connects two banks of a river. This connection to nature and natural materials inspires sustainable and responsible textiles design and research within the university. A separate area of the site features a series of wooden decks, all oriented toward the sun. This space is often used for a variety of meetings, classes, and discussions. The flexible nature of the spaces allows for the maximum amount of usage. More Great Articles Featuring Work from Thorbjorn Andersson:

• How The Fish Market Plaza Revamped This Forgotten Site
• Sjövikstorget Square: Traditional Techniques in Modern Landscape Architecture
• Discover the Ancient Secrets of the Physic Garden 

If the spaces would have been programmed and designed each with a specific use, it would have been impossible to include the sculpture on the site. One lesson Andersson learned and wanted to share with colleagues and future designers is to keep areas flexible so that they can embrace a myriad of activities and even multiple events at the same time.

Borås Textile Fashion Center Presents a New Era for the Textile Industry

The Fashion Center is a hub in the center of Boras, Sweden. With accessible transportation connections including rail, air, ports, and highways, this is an ideal location for the development of new and innovative textiles practices. The museum and overall design of the Fashion Center mark the beginning of a new phase in the textiles industry while paying respect to its history. The center even incorporates cafes, restaurants, cultural attractions, shopping, and recreation to attract visitors and guests from near and far. Additional project credits:  Team: PeGe Hillinge, Staffan Sundström, Ronny Brox, Per Johansson (lighting design). Consultants: DTH arkitekter (Dominic Wansbury) together with Sweco architects (Peter Jansson), Stiba (construction). Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Rachel Kruse Return to Homepage

Place d’Youville in Montreal, Quebec, Canada design by Claude Cormier + Associés. What is landscape architecture, really? Perhaps one of the most difficult and frustrating parts of the landscape architecture profession is the fact that very few people understand what it is that we really do. No, we are not landscapers or gardeners, and while we do also work in small gardens, our scope and understanding is far greater. Landscape architecture is the understanding of the complex nature of a site: the dynamic relationship between the natural and the built environment and the overlaying of the cultural context. “artificial, not fake” Canadian landscape architect Claude Cormier has begun to challenge this notion by embracing the constructed landscape and celebrating the artificial. His philosophy of “artificial, not fake” falls under the “conceptualist” movement, prioritizing the concept or big idea as the driving force behind a project.

This movement was initiated by his mentor, Martha Schwartz, and through the focus of design process has removed itself from the functionalism of the modernist movement and placed landscape architecture firmly within the contemporary urban environment. Bring Humor and Playfulness to the Landscape Cormier’s work has begun to push the limits of landscape architecture by introducing humor and playfulness in order to reinvent urban landscapes. His work includes installations of urban props, such as blue sticks or pink balls, and playful urban beaches in unusual city spaces. His focus is artificial, yet dynamic in its ability to become something sculptural with performance art qualities.

Place d’Youville

Cormier (in collaboration with Groupe Cardinal Hardy) has adopted this approach in his recent project, Place d’Youville in Montreal, Quebec. Place d’Youville is a historical square in Montreal and forms the meeting point of important roads at the gateway to the city’s waterfront and old port.

Named after Marguerite d’Youville (one of the city’s first residents), the site provides an important place of archaeological important and cultural heritage. The project is undeniably urban, and while it contains a large amount of green space, its focus is on materiality, memory, and the choreography of human movement. It does not pretend to be an inner city linear park or an active city square. It is a place, a statement, and a collector of people. Envisioned as a protective blanket of pedestrian walkways, the project responds to the archaeological memory of the site through materials and textures while recreating the 500-year-old sidewalk construction in the city. Angular pathways connect to the access points for museums, offices, restaurants, and residential units and represent their movement functions through timber boardwalks (domestic), concrete (commercial), and granite or limestone (institutional). A central pathway of mixed paving colors functions as a pedestrian collector and references the stream — the Petite Reviere — that runs beneath its hardened surface. Even the placement of the trees responds to archaeological sites as the trees preserve access holes for future artefact excavation. Design Philosophy:  “If you do too much it just becomes noise” Cormier has aimed to apply his conceptualist approach to Place d’Youville by marrying the graphic and visual aesthetic with the experience of movement and materials.The first aspect of Cormier’s design philosophy is his firm belief that a project’s success lies in a singular focus and the idea that if you do too much it “just becomes noise”. More articles featuring Claude Cormier + Associés:

• Beautiful Plaza Celebrates Canadian Landscape
• Sugar Beach: The Design That Makes Your Teeth Hurt

Although Cormier’s background is in plant breeding, he has directly admitted to preferring to work with inanimate elements due to impatience with the process of habitat growth and creation.

The purpose  behind Cormier’s work Cormier does not invite you to like his work, but rather invites you to question the meaning behind it and desire to experience the space. One cannot help but feel that it is impossible to critique the space until you have walked the textured paths and sat beneath the leafy trees. Cormier has labeled his office as “Landscape Architecture – Urban Design”, aiming to provide bridges among urban design, public art, and architecture. He does not pretend to adopt the multidisciplinary focus of approaches such as landscape urbanism, but rather explores the possibilities within the urban landscape. His work has in fact married urban design with landscape architecture in a manner that has created something quite controversial and undoubtedly different.

Awards for Place d’Youville

Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Regional Honor – Place D’Youville, Old Montreal, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, National Merit – Place D’Youville, Old Montreal. Recommended Reading:

• Site Engineering for Landscape Architects by Steven Strom
• The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design  by James van Sweden

Article by Rose Buchanan. Return to Homepage

Strijp-S, by Piet Oudolf, Carve, Deltavormgroep and Har Hollands, Eindhoven, Netherlands. Eindhoven, for those who’ve never been there, may seem to be just a tranquil, sleepy town somewhere in the Netherlands. But in fact it is home to many unconventional landscape architecture projects, including the tulip chairs and the fabulous glowing bike path “Starry Night” that one of my inspiring colleagues wrote about. Also among these projects is Strijp-S, which has helped to turn the city’s image upside down: from a boring factory village to a modern design metropolis. The collaboration behind this fantastic project in southern Holland comes from the design and engineering office of Carve, landscape architect Piet Oudolf, Har Hollands (lighting design) and Deltavormgroep (designers of public space underneath the pipe street). Together, they have reinvigorated a once “forbidden city” of industrial production into a modern apartment site while respecting the area’s original factory character.

Strijp-S: Every Light Has its Shadow

What is left behind when a huge factory site is closed down? When Phillips pulled its last European factory from Eindhoven, it left behind 27 hectares of abandoned industrial complexes and a dark place that once used to be filled with the bright incandescence of new light bulbs. The move forced Eindhoven to evolve and become a grown up city that creates an alternatively bright future for its residents. Related Articles:

• Community Turn Abandoned Industrial Site into Public Park
• Industrial Site Transforms into Beautiful Landscape
• MFO Park in Switzerland

When Different Layers Form a Whole Even under the difficult circumstances that every former factory site carries, the outcome of the Strijp-S project is phenomenal. The clever mix of the old factory charm with new layers of plants, light-blue steel construction, and a brilliant lighting design by Har Hollands is an outstanding and harmonious collaboration that only few designers manage to achieve.

Swinging Up and Down the Pipes The most important part of Strijp-S is the “Leidingstraat” — literally “Pipe Street”. This vast network of tubes and pipes on top of the monumental steel construction used to be the means of transport of gas, liquids, and electricity to and from the factory buildings. The Leidingstraat at the Hoge Rug building is the only small part of this tube network that survived the redevelopment of Strijp-S, but it remains as the carrier of technique, temporary installations, and other objects. Currently, it is home to the so-called “bird swings” that bring color and echoing children’s laughter into the site. How to Create Contemporary and Appealing Factory Living All of the public space elements and materials at the Leidingstraat refer to the site’s industrial past, too. For example, large, concrete slabs emphasize the long stretch of the Leidingstraat in two different sizes as a floor cover. In strategic locations, those same slabs form seating elements, steps, and display platforms just by being stacked on top of each other. With this simple method, even the most inconspicuous elements seem to be at those random places because they once belonged to the former factory. Light blue stair elements that unfurl like net curtains down from the pipes connect the ground floor with an elevated path. The lookout platforms of this second pedestrian network enable visitors to view the immense Leidingstraat and its surroundings. The compelling lighting design literally underlines the factory charm. The pipes of Leidingstraat are lit from beneath by LED strips in various colors. By regulating the lighting of the different elements, such as the seating slabs or the vegetation, patterns in desired accents and intensities can be achieved. Planting From the Master of Plants The non-cultivated and wild-appearing plants create a new layer on the site. For untrained eyes, it seems as if those seeds were taken there by the wind. However, it was world-renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf who created those planters and interpreted them as a leaf canopy beneath and between the robust steel pipes of the new Leidingstraat. While characteristic shade plants and low shrubs grow between the concrete slabs on the ground, the planters on top of the pipes contain vegetation that hangs down like a thin curtain between the tubes and creates a different play of colors throughout the seasons. Strijp-S is the wonderful outcome of an ambitious project. This once “forbidden city” of industrial production has been transformed into a unique place to visit, work, and live in an outstanding way by keeping the original industrial charm and atmosphere. Strijp-S teaches us how to create new landscapes while respecting the history.

• Planting: A New Perspective by Noel Kingsbury
• Hummelo: A Journey Through a Plantsman’s Life by Piet Oudolf

Article by Sophie Thiel Return to Homepage

Urban Freeway Removal is seen by many as the next logical step following a failed experiment in urban planning. The construction of urban freeways in cities was an untested idea when it was developed around the world in the late 1950s. In the past 50 years, tens of thousands of miles of highways have been built around the globe. However, there is strong evidence that urban highways are a failed experiment! This has led many cities to question the placement of freeways and whether they merit further investment or whether urban freeway removal should be considered. What can be done when a highway no longer makes sense?

To answer this question, we have to take a closer look to understand the intention behind building urban freeways. While in the United States, the construction of major freeways in urban areas was more or less a post-war binge and has now almost ceased, urban freeways are still sprouting up in emerging nations such as China and India in order to contribute to economic growth, as a report on urban freeway removal by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in collaboration with the EMBARQ points out.

Urban Freeway Removal: A Brief History

Unintentional Side Effects and the Original Intention of Urban Freeways Governors and supporters typically sought urban freeways as a solution to congestion, but years of real-world case studies and numerous empirical studies have shown us today that new road capacity usually increases traffic in direct proportion to the amount of new road space. Moreover, the adverse impacts of urban freeways on their surroundings — such as displaced communities, decreased road safety, environmental degradation, land-use impacts and threats to residents’ health through air pollution and increased accidents — were not considered while force-fitting limited-access freeways into cities.

Related Articles:

• The ChonGae Canal Turns an Auto-Centric Zone into a Pedestrian Haven
• 280 Million Euros Invested into Urban Revitalisation Project – Rio Madrid by West8
• Ground Breaking Masterplan Redefines The City of Bogotá

How Urban Freeway Removal Stimulates Liveable Neighborhoods

The initial hype of building freeways was soon followed by a movement of taking down those unpleasant thoroughfares. However, the urban freeway removal itself does not represent the final solution.

To successfully reconnect neighborhoods, it is important to consider alternative mass transit and to offer public open spaces, since urban freeway removal is really about shifting priorities from moving cars to moving people. My colleague’s articles, “The ChonGae Canal Turns an Auto-Centric Zone into a Pedestrian Haven” and “280 Million Euros invested into Urban Revitalisation Project”, are setting examples of successful urban highway removals in Madrid and Seoul. However, even more cities — such as Milwaukee, San Francisco, Paris, and New York City — have already found that reimagining urban highways creates better places and attracts higher investment in the surrounding area. We have chosen Portland and Bogotá as examples of the direct consequences and positive impacts of urban freeway removals. Portland: Harbor Drive Turned Into the Tom McCall Waterfront Park Portland was one of the first cities to stop the extension of urban freeways. The Harbor Drive expressway was closed for good in 1974, clearing the way for the creation of the Downtown Waterfront Urban Renewal Area with a large new waterfront park. Consequences of the urban freeway’s removal included:

• Increased land values,
• a decrease in motor vehicle use; and
• less air and noise pollution in the region.

Furthermore, the redevelopment of the waterfront area has also helped by reducing crime rates, creating safer and more pleasant spaces for pedestrians, and considerably improving the quality of life in downtown Portland.

Bogotá: The Transformation of the Inner City Expressway Dismissing the initial idea of creating a system of six urban highways and a metro system, Bogotá invested in a greenway that would better serve the local community through offering a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system and bike lanes. Some of the project’s achievements included:

• The reduction in traffic accident fatalities,
• the decline of travel times along the corridor,
• the reduction of air pollution; and
• the decrease of aggregated crimes.

Freeways are a tool to move traffic long distances at high speed. Without a doubt, cities often need urban freeways, but if they are misplaced, residents, businesses, property owners, and neighborhoods along the freeway suffer. Health and quality of life can be important factors for cities in deciding whether or not a new freeway should be built and whether already existing freeways need to be torn down.

Today, there are many cities that set an example with successful urban freeway removals. Those cities have proven that urban freeway removal projects that are planned down to the last detail, including the improvement of mass transportation opportunities as well as space for community recreation, successfully reconnect neighborhoods and help cities to shine in new splendor. Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Sophie Thiel Return to Homepage

Leisure Centre of Madine, by Urbicus, Versailles, France

Finding a balance point for a project located in a natural place involves listening carefully to the environment in order to preserve its essence. The Madine Lake — or Lac de Madine — in The River Meuse, France, is located in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of Lorraine, which is home to a great variety of local flora and fauna. It is one of the largest lakes in the country, with an 11,000-hectare stretch of water, 250 hectares of forest, and 42 kilometers of banks and shores. This beautiful setting has always been an attraction for European tourists and sport lovers, laying the groundwork for a perfect opportunity to develop a project that responds to the exigencies for responsible tourism.

Planning and Designing the Leisure Center at Madine

The Leisure Centre of Madine is the result of four years of negotiation among local authorities (Le Syndicat mixte d’amenagament du Lac de Madine, La Region Lorraine, Le conseil general de la Meuse, and le GIP objectif Meuse) to respect and protect the natural heritage of the site. The total investment of the renovation project is valued at 60 million euros, but only 14.5 million euros has been spent so far.

The reorganization integrates various criteria for tourism and environmental care. The redevelopment project is divided into two sectors, the first located in the northern area of Nonsard and the other located in the south, at Heudicourt. The construction takes into account a number of issues:

• The improvement of traffic routes, which aim to value and secure pedestrians and cyclists by isolating the flux of vehicles, setting them apart from the shoreline.
• The hierarchy of areas: The main poles in Nonsard and Heudicourt will revolve around themed areas for sport and wellness, outdoor leisure activities, and a lakeside village.
• The preservation of the site through taking into account environmental standards for development and construction.
• The attractiveness and diversity of activities gathered in one place: sports, beach, accommodations, concerts, events, etc.

The construction of the complex was scheduled in two phases. The first phase, from 2013 until mid-2014, comprised the renovation of the equestrian center on Heudicourt and the construction of the House of the Promenade, where tourists are welcomed and given information about the leisure activities. The complex expects to welcome 350,000 holidaymakers in the coming seasons. Related Articles:

• RheinRing Bridge is a Work of Art!
• Top 10 Pedestrian Bridges
• The Street Bridge Park Everyone’s Talking About

The port deepening will take into account the agreement signed by the partners to preserve local biodiversity. The protocol takes note of periods of low water flow and the reproductive needs of a number of fish species. The second phase includes the construction of accommodations and the rebuilding of the captaincy and enlargement of the port, as well as the development of private investments for local commerce.

Leisure Center at Madine Renovation: from Concept to Reality

The complex designed by Urbicus Studio, headed by French architect Jean-Marc Gaulier, has created a unique architectural response that fuses with the landscape in a harmonious way. The studio was founded in 1996, and the team developed a term – Naturbanity — which refers to dealing with urban issues in terms of “architecture of the land area”. In other words, the team strives to design in such a way as to protect nature from urban and tourist pressure by leaving the landscape as natural as possible, re-establishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture. An Ambition Shared by Everyone for the Leisure Center at Madine Having been a natural area for a long time, the park remains flexible, moving at the pace of the demands of tourism but with a responsible attitude. This is reflected in the selection of natural materials used in the project, such as wood, rusty steel, gravel, and fine sand that increase the sensation of being in a natural atmosphere, little intervened by man. The Leisure Centre at Madine is defined by subtle architectural strokes. A curvy complex inspired by water movement is the guideline that organizes the whole building program. The complex is perceived as a great unit; the wooden promenades elevate from the ground and become the roof of the main building — Maison de la Promenade — where pedestrians can walk above or below.

Later, it falls gradually, forming an undulating surface. Alongside the building, the terrace of the bar de la Plage faces the shoreline, giving a wonderful view of the venue. The architects left untouched the edge of the esplanade, in order to turn it into a relaxing and contemplative area during the last hours of the day. The blue of the sky and green of the vegetation are reflected in the building façade, which has different glass opacities. Slow-growing grasses with very low water requirements, prairies, tall grasses, plants, and seasonal flowers are planted in strips and shrubs. Furthermore, aquatic plants placed in small banks are part of the greenery used in the landscape project. Denser trees give shade to the picnic area, offering a fresher spot in warm summers. The lake has a wooden pier, fine sand beaches for sunbathing, and a set of showers near the esplanade. The relevance of this project lies in the challenge of finding the integration of nature and social elements in the design of new environmental landscapes. Thus, the goal of the project is to preserve the evolution of an ecosystem that is a characteristic of a protected area’s natural region. Developers and designers have a great responsibility to create strategies for positive impact in the life of the community. Recommended Reading:

• Site Engineering for Landscape Architects by Steven Strom
• The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design  by James van Sweden

Article by Claudia Canales Return to Homepage

Israels Square, by COBE, Copenhagen, Denmark In 2008, the Danish architectural firm COBE won a competition for the redesign of Israels Plads (or Israels Square) in central Copenhagen and the project was completed in 2014. The square is located between the City Centre and Ørsted Park and within a couple of blocks of Nørreport metro station and the Botanic Gardens. The square consists of two urban plazas, one containing a busy covered market. The other plaza includes the newly rebuilt section, which is the subject of this article. The square’s easy accessibility to the city center and residential neighborhoods lends itself to a variety of uses. Over the years, the square has undergone a series of transformations, in accordance with the requirements of each era. Although transformed, elements from its past continue to exist

Israels Square is a Part of a Rich History

The square is located in a historic precinct that once formed part of a larger defensive ring established to protect the city from invaders. The defensive ring consisted of a series of moats and ramparts and was decommissioned in the mid-1800s. Some of the original moats have been turned into lakes and are located in Ørsted Park. Israels Square was constructed above the old ramparts. By the early 20th century, there was a fountain at one end of the square, which came to be known as Hundetorvet, which means Dog Square in Danish.

As the name suggests, it was a favorite place for walking dogs. It was later incorporated into the adjacent vegetable market, or Grønttorvet, and was renamed Israel’s Plads in 1968 in memory of the Jewish citizens persecuted by the Nazis during World War II. Related Articles:

• How a Dazzling Light Scheme Design Transformed a Dark City Centre: Torico Square
• How Beirut’s Zeytouneh Square is Reuniting a Divided Urban Community
• Top 10 Controversial Monuments of the World

The Times Changed Yet Again for Israels Square

By the 1970s, the square was functioning as a car park at one end and as a venue for informal ball games at the other. It was considered rather unappealing until its refurbishment.

By the early 2000s, the city’s residents overwhelmingly desired a more vibrant and diverse lifestyle. The City of Copenhagen would cater to this demand, in part, through redesigning the square. Residents would be offered an alternative to outdoor café and commercial activities. At the square, they can enjoy a variety of pastimes without spending a single Krone or Ore. The Competition for Redesigning Israels Square The design brief for a 2008 competition provided for the refurbishment of a portion of the square into a contemporary urban space that retained its multi-use character, connected with its surroundings, and acknowledged its history. COBE’s winning proposal provided for a multi-use square accommodating a variety of uses, including sports, concerts, demonstrations, and markets, as well as its integration with the adjoining park. COBE’s View For Israels Square — A Magic Carpet Between Two Worlds COBE saw Israels Square as a region “hovering” between two worlds — the city and Ørsted Park. The square was raised, on average, 30 centimeters and incorporates subtle changes in level that add interest and enhance its multi-use functionality. The new square is a “folded” or layered surface that “floats” above the ground, like a magic carpet, enabling the park to wander into the square as a series of cut-outs on the surface. Additional features include seating, a lowered playground, and areas for ball games. An artificial stream covered in sculptural shapes also traverses the square and ends in a little waterfall at the edge of Ørsted Park. Subtle Integration of Israels Square and the Park The re-built square extends approximately seven meters over the park. Rather than remove any trees from the park, a number of holes have been punched out of the square in order to retain the existing trees, as well as incorporate new trees. This feature makes the park an integral component of the square and enables a gentle transition from the mostly hardscape environment of the square to the rampant greenery of the neighboring park. The park is reached via a spiral staircase that gradually widens as it approaches the ground. At night, a different atmosphere is evoked. Lighting is adjustable according to the requirements of the users. LED lighting lines the edges of the square, and the punched holes are accentuated by strip lighting, giving a sensation that the whole square is floating. Israels Square has a Rich History yet Looks to the Future Israels Square brings together many different worlds. These include the natural parklands, the steel and concrete of the inner city, history and the present, and the worlds of the diverse populace. Although the square and its surrounds are continually being transformed, closer observation would hint at relics of earlier eras, an informative palimpsest landscape. The general impression is that the rebuilt square has added functionality to the already multi-use nature of the space and improved the connectivity between the square and the surrounding gardens and urban area. Article by Gerard de Silva Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

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Sjövikstorget Square, by Andersson Thorbjörn with Sweco architects, Stockholm, Sweden Just as we sometimes feel the need to retreat, we also occasionally feel the need for expansive freedom. With dwellings and neighborhoods becoming more and more constricted, such spaciousness is becoming a rarity. But we can learn from centuries of Japanese gardening masters that space can be “borrowed”.

Concept of the Sjövikstorget Square

The idea of borrowing a backdrop from surrounding scenery is known in Japanese as “shakkei”. Shakkei refers to the exploitation of scenery external to a garden’s physical boundaries, either immediately outside or at a distance, for the purposes of visually enlarging the garden’s scale and enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Based upon this concept, Sjövikstorget Square in Stockholm, Sweden, is designed in such a way that the views toward water and the distant surrounding landscape appear to be a part of the square.

Designed by Andersson Thorbjörn with Sweco architects, Sjövikstorget Square is a waterfront redevelopment project in which all four ways of borrowing landscape have been used:

• Enshaku: distant borrowing
• Rinshaku: borrowing features from a neighboring property
• Fushaku: borrowing from the terrain
• Gyishaku: borrowing from the weather (i.e. sun, wind, and water)

One of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Sweden’s capital city spreads out over 14 hilly, convex islands in Lake Mälaren and looks out proudly to the Baltic Sea to the east. Situated on the Årstadal quay, the framework plan for this project encompasses two recreational lawns, promenades, boardwalks, tree groves, and a dock.

Geographical Attributes of Sjövikstorget Square(Fushaku Technique)

With the site being convex in shape, it naturally impels outward motion toward the water and to more distant views, and so does the concept for the square. To accentuate this effect, the trianglur “square” is sloped at 3 percent from its flat surface toward the primary view. The slope of the two lawns rises gradually from the ground plane in an opposite direction to the slope of the plaza, making its visual aspect more prominent. These two lawns serve as an area for playing, relaxing, and picnicking, bounded by broad granite edges for seating. At their south end, the edges are depressed and tapered for easy access by people with mobility issues, so that they too can enjoy the qualities of a well-designed public open space. Related articles:

• Top 10 Public Squares of the World
• Plaza Design Turns Dead Space into a Vibrant Living room at Stadlaounge in Switzerland
• Revitalizing London’s Finsbury Avenue Square

Framing Device at Sjövikstorget Square One-hundred-meter-long wooden promenades frame the plaza and bracket the view, acting as a framing device to limit the borrowed scenery to desirable elements. Along their outer edges, there are seating surfaces enhancing social interaction in the plaza. At the outer perimeter, a parking lot has been provided, making the square free from vehicles and allowing free pedestrian movement. Utilizing Sjövikstorget Square’s Forces (Gyishaku) A series of terraces approaching the water is oriented to the west to catch the maximum sunlight. These sun terraces are used for relaxing and sunbathing. To the west, a 40-meter-long dock extends beyond the quay, supported on piers drifting on the water. This extension maximizes the amount of sunlight in the north-facing square. The drifting dock is accommodated with seats, giving a feeling of floating on water. The glimmers of sunlight on water, its sight, and the lapping of water on the shore elicit an exclamation of discovery and delight in our minds. Balancing Composition of Sjövikstorget Square One of the important features of the Shakkei technique is the balance in composition with the scene in the foreground. To maintain a balance with the openness of the triangular square, a second triangular grove of semi-transparent Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) trees occupies the western side.   These species have been selected for their fast growth and low maintenance. These are planted along the paved gravel lane to provide shade where children play bouclé games. The grove descends to form a sunken garden with ornamental trees like cherry for landscape restoration. Water Features and Sculptures at Sjövikstorget Square To add more fascinating and artistic value to the plaza, water features and sculptures have been meticulously designed. The water feature is 35 meters wide, starting from a thin layer of water rushing over the surface of Norwegian slate, evoking a sense of pleasure as the water trickles gently past users’ feet. Sculptures designed by the artist Jan Svenungsson are ecofriendly. Three large, natural boulders are sculpted at different positions of the square. One is carved with headlines taken from the city’s newspapers on the day the square opened to the public to mark its opening day. Colors and Textures of Sjövikstorget Square The colors and textures of the whole square have been chosen wisely, with colors varying from gray to green and materials varying from granite and concrete to wood. The textures of the pavers range from coarse to smooth. The use of varying colors, textures, and materials with their natural looks complement each other and ward off boredom. Overall, this is truly an inspiring project from which we can learn about the traditional Japanese “borrowing” concept and its application in a contemporary landscape design. Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Farah Afza. Return to Homepage