Saarbrücken harbour island Citizens' park on the site of the old coal port

The destroyed and buried coal port of the city of Saarbrücken became the core of an ecological urban renewal - a place that reflects its history and whose infrastructure reconnects the torn urban spaces.

In order to anchor the change in people's consciousness early on, an experiment was placed at the beginning of the work: Together with schoolchildren, students and local residents, we dug into the rubble, sifted out material, sorted it and used it to build retaining walls, paths, steps, mounds and gardens. Partly overgrown, these works still define part of the park.

The more important elements today are the gardens and passages enclosed by ramparts and walls. Buried in the rubble hills, they are protected from the noise of the surrounding highways.

The pond at the center of the site reflects light under the extra-wide bridge. It is part of the stormwater system and receives all drainage and surface water. The water wall provides cooling and oxygenation of the water. The splashing and rushing of the falling water makes the sounds of traffic fade into the background.