Lindau Citizens' Park

Lindau is an urban island on the eastern shore of Lake Constance and forms a charming contrast to the landscape of the Allgäu and the panorama of the Alps. The island is surrounded by a ring of gardens, parks and squares, which has now been closed with new open spaces on the western side of the island. The ring surrounds the dense old town center and creates public open spaces on all sides along the shore. The special, historically evolved structure of the city and its banks is understood as a unique selling point of Lindau and is further developed into a complete urban garden island by means of locally adapted planning motifs.



The planning was prompted by the decision to convert traffic areas (railroad and stationary traffic) into public open spaces in the long term. In addition, there is an urban reorganization in the form of appropriate development. The area "behind the station" will be activated by means of a park strip in which a wide range of facilities are embedded. The ribbon will have a robust framework of paths, with the island path linking all the park sequences. It guides visitors from one place to the next and provides natural orientation. In view of the outstanding existing qualities - the view, the arboretum-like tree population and the direct contact with the lake - a restrained design language was aimed for. The organization of a garden show could create the basis for the project and was carried out in 2021 as "Nature in Lindau".



- Central citizens' park with lakeside bastions and lake steps



The removal of the parking spaces has created a new park and areas for further urban development. In addition to the play and sports facilities, one side of the shore was rebuilt with a long set of steps and a flat gravel bank in front of it. In contrast to the usual bank walls, direct access to the lake is possible here. The island's new central bathing area, together with the lawns and mature trees, is a popular meeting place in summer and in the evenings.



- Play and sports landscape on the Sina-Kinkelin-Platz



The square is more of a park, which is essentially characterized by its impressive tree population and a large play area. As the largest playground on the island, it has always had a special significance for the people of Lindau. It has been renovated and expanded with areas for mud, digging, climbing and swings. The play elephant, much loved by the residents, was preserved. It was given a "big brother" to climb and slide alongside.



- Historic Luitpold Park



This existing park area was integrated into the concept. Here, work was carried out in particular on a sensitive adaptation of the path network in interaction with the embankment wall and the existing trees. New flowering meadows enrich the vegetation and bring more biodiversity to the park.



- Alpine view from the Schützinger terrace



The listed Schützingerweg has been transformed into a spacious promenade area. Under the majestic chestnut trees, the people of Lindau meet up for a game of table tennis or an after-work drink with a view of the Alps. Here it is clear that the design is deliberately restrained, as the lake and the mountains are always the main protagonists.

Building in existing/historic buildings award German Landscape Architecture Award 2025

Jury verdict:
A privileged place: a park, imposing trees, a fantastic view: The island of Lindau is steeped in history and marked by the caesura of the railroad infrastructure. The Bürgerpark Lindau project was sensitively integrated into the site.

Exposing the areas behind the station - once railway tracks and a parking lot - opened up the opportunity to highlight backsides that had previously received little attention and to complete the chain of green open spaces that characterize the shore of the island. The design blends in with the existing open space structure and sensitively integrates new uses and recreational areas into the existing structure.

Wide steps lead down to the water, providing direct access to Lake Constance and creating a new area for swimming - on an island whose relationship with the water has so far been primarily visual. The historic bank walls from different building eras were integrated into the design as a matter of course. The park is largely restrained in terms of design and leaves it to the buildings on the island and the natural environment of Lake Constance to develop their respective effects.

The project was created as a permanent installation in the context of the 2021 Lindau Garden Show. It creates a new, strong unity of social spaces by transforming former traffic areas - railroad tracks and stationary traffic - into tangible, public open spaces. A quiet, yet clear project that does not impose itself, but blends in - and gives the island back its shoreline.