The Landscape Park, Riem
Case study
The Landscape Park in Riem
Project data
Project name: The Landscape Park in Riem
Location: Munich, district of Riem
Planning: International competition 1995, 1st prize
Construction periods: 1998–2001 (1st phase of construction), 2000–04 (2nd phase of
construction), 2002–05 (National Garden Exhibition 2005)
Cost: €60 million (park) €41 million (garden exhibition)
Area: 210ha (park) 130ha (garden exhibition)
Landscape architects: Gilles Vexlard, LATITUDE NORD, Paris (design); Stahr and
Haberland, Munich (bidding, site management, 1st phase of
construction); Heiner Luz, Munich (since 1998, bidding, site
management, 2nd phase of construction); Rainer Schmidt,
Munich (Garden Expo)
Client: City of Munich, represented by MRG München–Riem Ltd.
Overview
The Landscape Park in Riem extends southwards from the housing areas of the city quarter of Riem. With
an area of more than 200ha, it is the third largest park in the city after the English Garden and the formal
park of Nymphenburg Palace.^3 The park offers ample areas for recreational activity to people visiting the
new exhibition centre and quarter, as well as the neighbouring communities. The catchment area of the
park contains approximately 40,000 people. The park also provides areas of ecological balance and replace-
ment (such areas are required by German law, particularly when large building projects have considerable
ecological impact) and a fresh air corridor for the city centre.
In 1997, the city of Munich applied to host the National Garden Exhibition in 2005, as a mechanism to
advance the completion of the park. By holding the exhibition, Munich wished to continue the successful
tradition established there by former events such as the Olympic Games 1972 and the International Garden
Expo in 1983 which attracted a record number of 11 million visitors to a garden exhibition. The city won
its bid as host because of its convincingly sustainable concept for both the city quarter and the garden
exhibition.