European Landscape Architecture: Best Practice in Detailing

Bay of Somme motorway service station

Evaluation
The development of the vegetation is interesting.
Initially the intention was to plant far more trees
in the park than have actually been planted. During
construction it emerged that what seemed evident
on the drawings was not necessary in reality, so the
plantations that framed the area on the initial draw-
ings were omitted, reinforcing the impression that
the park and the fields float into each other without
interruption.

The solitary trees located in the parking area at the
west end of the service building area grow slowly
because of the wind, which deforms them. HYL
does not consider this to be a problem, but rather
an educational tool, since the natural process that
shapes the trees is clearly evident.

The project, as realised, gives the impression that
no boundaries exist between the park and the

surrounding landscape. As described, fences have

even been avoided around the ponds by the use of

ground modelling. However, the organisation now

in charge of the maintenance and operation of the

site reviewed this design and decided that they had

to secure the safety of the children on the play-

ground by installing fences. In the opinion of HYL,

this was not necessary and the pervading concept

of no borders has been weakened.

In the competition proposal, the canals were extend-

ed on the eastern side of the motorway. This would

have been very costly in reality and was abandoned

during the feasibility studies. Again, what looked

important on the drawings turned out to be neither

necessary nor possible in reality.

What emerges from such considerations is that if

a project has a strong concept, small adjustments

make no difference to the overall impression. At

3.18

Section showing the connection between the pond

and the first canal

3.19

Section through the canal and infiltration pond