European Landscape Architecture: Best Practice in Detailing

The Netherlands

Goalposts and goals for the playing field were

designed to harmonise with the design of the rest of

the park. The goals are made of rectangular blocks of

black concrete into which holes have been punched,

hopefully inviting the invention of new games. The

corner posts are also made of black concrete; 3m in

height, they are also very prominent.

The hangout

Situated on the south side of the hill is a black con-

crete cubic element, which, with four closed sides

(the bottom, top and two sides), provides shelter

from the rain. Along one of its walls is a bench 2.5m

in length. This provides a pleasant meeting place

for young people, without giving others a feeling of

insecurity. Though the cube can clearly be seen by

park visitors, the number of empty drink cans sug-

gests that the young people who use it feel secure

there. In other words, we can conclude that the

place is functioning as planned.

The pond

Currently, the south-east corner of the park is occu-

pied by a shopping centre. In the near future, how-

ever, this temporary supermarket will be replaced

by permanent neighbourhood shopping facilities

elsewhere on the estate. A large, round pond will

be dug on the site. The body of water will be 39m

in diameter. The bank around it will be 8m wide, and

will consist of loose basalt blocks. The pond’s round

shape and black colour will ensure that it fits in with

the other elements in the park.

The dog-walking area

The south side of the park is marked by a broad

watercourse (water-line 8.5m) which is essential

for the local water management. On its northern

side, there is a terraced embankment with a 3.5m

slope and a vertical of 3m. All of it has been sown

to grass; its northern side has also been edged

with the same black concrete kerbs that edge the

hill. These have a height of 0.5m, a width of 0.4m

and a length of 2.0m. In this way the park has

been defined in a very natural way, simultaneously

creating another huge length of sitting space and

a strip where dogs can be walked without causing

nuisance to other park visitors.

Planting

The park has been planted sparingly, but in a well-

considered fashion. The whole hill has been planted

with Hedera helix. Within several years this will

have grown into a close covering which will accen-

tuate the hill’s distinct design.

Several clumps of shrubs (such as Philadelphus ‘Belle

Etoile’ and Buddleia davidii ‘Ile de France’) have also

been planted on the hill, along with approximately

2,000 daffodil bulbs that will herald each new spring

with an explosion of colour.

6.20
The construction of the border of the soccer field