WörnitzauenparkWassertrüdingen Garden Show

German Landscape Architecture Prize 2021 | awarded in the category “landscape architecture in detail”

Based on the ideas of Joseph von Eichendorff, nature can be seen as ‘the great picture book the good Lord opened up for us outdoors’. A richly illustrated assortment of images, the Wörnitzauenpark, situated on the edge of Wassertrüdingen’s Old Town, was transformed into a sea of flowers for the Bavarian state garden show in 2019. Over 330,000 visitors made their way to the small town in Middle Franconia, which, in addition to horticultural marvels, laid on all manner of culinary and cultural attractions.

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SITE
A romantic site in front of the town’s water- and sawmills: As part of the flood prevention measures, a new bed was dug for the River Wörnitz and a peninsula was created to accommodate a new city park. A sweeping view stretches out over the biodiverse nature reserves and on to the lush trees of the Oettinger Forest. The chattering of the storks accompanies visitors while they enjoy local foods inside the new Regional Pavilion, which brings together three districts.

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ATMOSPHERE
As a reminder of a lost piece of Wassertrüdingen’s history, a gold-toned cube was added to the medieval city wall at the gate on Alte Schulgasse. It marks the entrance to the town in a new way. The semi-transparent metal structure allows for partial panoramas and produces fascinating moiré patterns.

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DETAILS & MATERIALS
The design approached the structure of the small town in a sensitive way. Historical materials, handled in an up-to-date manner, complement the town’s system of alleyways and small squares, which was enriched through the planting of perennials. Over and over again, the site opens up anew, providing expansive vistas of the surrounding meadows.

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