Reemtsma Park, Hamburg

Old trees, light and shade, expanse and generosity, there is a lot here - the only thing missing is the atmospheric quality and the perceptibility of this special world.



Through the consistent implementation of the park concept and the trees on the green meadow or on the green lawn, the resulting tranquillity and spaciousness of Reemtsma Park can be perceived in a different quality. The park finds its holistic, new and unmistakable identity. Caspar David Friedrich. Together with the careful sculptural ground modeling and some water objects, the oak trees create a special, contemplative atmosphere related to the location. Light and shadow create a different perspective.

AppreciationGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2009

Jury verdict: The authors succeed in giving an old park in Hamburg's Elbe suburbs, parts of which have become overgrown, an appropriate, contemporary expression with careful interventions. They have cleared the grounds of wild growth and all mediocre planting and concentrate entirely on paying respect to the site with its venerable tree sculptures.

The only modern interventions are a water table in the north-west and the undulating modelling of the central lawn. These safely employed minimalist devices have convincingly rejuvenated the prestigious park. Only the stone benches covered with a film of water were found disconcerting by the judges.