The Park Avenue
From the 1/2/8 shaft site, as an extension of the existing access road between "PACT" and "Kunstschacht", the new park avenue leads cord-straight across the large open-air area of shaft XII up to the sculpture park with the granite sculptures by Ulrich Rückriem. This route represents a new link between the "rail tracks" of the track yard north of the coal washing plant and the 1/2/8 shaft, and at the same time the sculpture park receives a direct connection to the rest of the Zollverein Park.
The park avenue consists of an approx. 9 m wide aisle that leads through the existing birch grove. Due to the site conditions, golden rabinias are planted as avenue trees. The individual trees of the two rows of trees are spaced at different distances from each other and take into account the existing birch stand. The path itself is 3m wide and made of in-situ concrete.
The loose and transparent growth form of the robinias blends unobtrusively into the image of the birch grove, only the yellowish green foliage contrasts slightly with the foliage of the birches and thus traces the straight course of the park avenue. It becomes a harmonious component of the light and transparent birch grove.
Die Parkallee © 2008 Thomas Mayer www.thomasmayerarchive.de
The grove in the track boulevard
While coal was still being mined, individual stretches of track fell into disuse and were quite quickly reclaimed by vegetation. Long after the closure of the Zollverein colliery the entire track yard had disappeared under a dense forest of birches, willows, alders, black locust trees and even some oaks. The curious walker could still find some left behind waggons with coals between blackberries and summer lilac. In the ever denser and higher industrial forest, it became more difficult to see and understand the structure and the interrelationships of the buildings, belt bridges, pipelines.
In order to make this part of the Zollverein Park, which is important in many respects, usable and to reconcile such a use in the long term with both ecological and monument preservation interests, we modelled a light grove of trees out of the dense forest. The scrub was cleared, trees were selectively felled, and individual woody plants of varying ages were cleared and pruned. The track lines were cleared and developed into paths. Small squares connect individual tracks in a random pattern. Large benches made of robust but fine exposed concrete create places to stay within the linear structure. Between the paths grow grasses, tall shrubs, butterfly bushes and blackberries - or nothing, depending on the condition of the ground.
The image thus created of a park reduced to its basic elements can be maintained with simple maintenance interventions. Once a year in winter the areas are mowed. The lilac bushes are cut down, where it becomes too dense, it is also cleared. Emerging woody plants are removed.
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- The Park Avenue
- The grove in the track boulevard
