Redesign of Hildesheim cathedral courtyard

Hahn Hertling von Hantelmann, landscape architects from Hamburg, and Schilling Architekten from Cologne were awarded the 2016 Lower Saxony State Prize for Architecture together with their client, the Hildesheim Cathedral Chapter, for the renovation and modernization of the UNESCO World Heritage Site St. Mary's Cathedral in Hildesheim.

The cathedral courtyard is a unique, architecturally evolved World Heritage ensemble in the network of cultural sights in Hildesheim. The guiding principles for the redesign of the cathedral courtyard are as follows: Due to its special significance, the cathedral will be generously exposed in order to strengthen its spatial presence. In keeping with the history of the cathedral courtyard, the urban character of the ensemble will be emphasized. The green space structure is simplified and reduced to two green focal points. Quiet lawns lie to the north and south of the cathedral at an appropriate distance from the surrounding buildings and structure the space. The character of both cathedral courtyards is defined by tree planting. As many existing trees as possible will be integrated into the new tree placement concept. At the same time, the existing trees must be thinned out in order to free up important lines of sight to the cathedral building. The use of the same natural stone material of small stone paving throughout the cathedral courtyard emphasizes the unity of the large and small cathedral courtyards and strengthens the ensemble character. The area around the cathedral's western parade ground is framed by a flight of steps and sets the immediate cathedral surroundings apart from the surrounding space.