European Landscape Architecture: Best Practice in Detailing

Germany

stone blocks, whose side surfaces are sometimes

enhanced by the work of stonemasons.

Lines, edges and borders

The artificial landform of the park has very clear

forms. The intersections of the pathways – the third

and last part of the park’s hierarchy – produce many

acute or obtuse angles, much like the coincidental

pattern of the sticks in a game of ‘Mikado’. All the

lines within the park are thus very exact and sharp.

This formal clarity demands a structural definition

of the boundaries and edges, which has led to the

park’s characteristic details. The paths are edged

with natural stones or concrete kerbs. The precision

with which the boundary lines and lengthy paths,

which can have edges 2,000m long, were built is

impressive.

Terrain edges, path intersections and junctions are

secured through the use of natural stone borders

and concrete elements. This means that eventual

rounding off of path junctions or the erosion of the

upper levels of berms and slopes will be avoided.

The characteristic formal language of the park and

the sharp lines of its design are protected from

becoming effaced or blurred through human use.

Even the design of the lake in the eastern part

of the site follows these principles. The northern

bank represents a hard borderline constructed as

4.23
Path edging, intersections
4.24
Securing the upper edge of a slope using concrete
elements
4.25
The hard and soft banks of the lake
4.26
Seating steps and stairs beside the lake
4.27
Special angle-detail designed by Vexlard