Südstadtpark, Fürth

The conversion of the former O'Darby barracks in Fürth into a new urban district is one of the particularly successful examples of military conversion in Germany.

Based on a competition win together with pesch partner, WGF accompanied the project over a period of years from the urban development concept to the realisation of the new Südstadtpark.

The redesigned area is now one of the most attractive residential areas in the region around Nuremberg, Fürth, Erlangen and Schwabach.

AppreciationGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2005

Jury verdict: The opportunity presented by the conversion of the William O. Darby Barracks is used by the author to create a park that takes the originally strict organizational form of the military installation and rethinks it. The park becomes the catalyst (and the heart) of a new urban development area, to which it lends order and identity.
The decidedly expansive rectangular area, ten acres in size, is not fragmented but left in its size and wholeness. This is emphasized by the park's three-row tree enclosure. Within this almost monumental framework, different functional areas are arranged in the simplest way.

The logic of simplicity and the radicality of the urban setting impressed the jury as much as the care and precision of the execution of the green space. The functionality of the green public space, which is available to numerous different social groups, is also rated as exceptionally good. The inclusion of the old trees in the new park was rated positively. The design of the play areas, on the other hand, is discussed controversially: Their cheerfulness sometimes seems overdone. The sprinkler system is state of the art and meets modern ecological standards.