Pleasure garden

In accordance with the political guidelines of the Senate of the City of Berlin, the design had to be based on C. F. Schinkel's classicist ground plan of 1829. This offered the possibility of restoring the close correspondence between the Altes Museum and the garden. The Lustgarten of today is therefore not a reconstruction. Due to the extensive loss of the original substance, this would hardly have been justifiable in terms of monument preservation. The development of the height, the modelling of the lawn, the boundaries, the materiality, the use of water and light, and finally the furnishings emphasise its status as a contemporary garden that quotes and interprets Schinkel's ground plan.

According to the political guidelines of the Senate of the City of Berlin, the design had to be oriented to the classicist floor plan of C. F. Schinkel from 1829.

This held the possibility of restoring the close correspondence between the Old Museum and the garden.

The Lustgarten of today is therefore not a reconstruction, which would hardly have been justifiable in terms of monument preservation due to the extensive loss of the original substance.

The development of the height, the modelling of the lawn, the boundaries, the materiality, the handling of water and light, and finally the furnishings emphasize its status as a contemporary garden that quotes and interprets Schinkel's ground plan.

First prizeGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2001

Jury verdict: The work convinces with its classic and inviting design. It is particularly noteworthy that the authors were able to resist the temptation to reconstruct the historical layout. In doing so, the handling of materials and the high quality of the implementation down to the last detail is exemplary. The play with form and texture is extremely successful and distinguishes the design.

A newly created attraction is the extraordinary fountain made of shell limestone. The seating walls, lawns and the quietly designed area on the Spree with rows of lime trees and specially designed furniture give the urban space back the lost quality of stay.

After two competitions, whose decisions, however, were not realized, and a debate lasting many years, the deadlocked political situation could be softened with this design and an urban conflict could be solved.