Discover Germany | Special Theme | Top German Architects
Main image: Wernigerode Fish-Walk. Above Left: Löbau Water Park. Above Middle: Löbau Sunken Garden. Above Right: Löbau Sugar Cone Play Gardens. Opposite Page: Schwerin Marstall Gardens.
The open space:
hutterreimann landschaftsarchitektur allows freedom for the mind For hutterreimann landscape architects, the word ‘panorama’ stands not only for the view but also for the outlook, the possibility of change. An open mind is ready to acquire new insights and for this, it needs space. To give an overview, to provide the vision of the whole, that is the philosophy behind hutterreimann landscape architecture. TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI I PHOTOS: CHRISTO LIBUDA, JOERN LEHMANN
“We create specific open spaces that are inspired by the site itself and its history,” Stefan Reimann states when asked about how hutterreimann approaches a certain project. They creatively translate the state of a place into exciting new landscapes, with a new identity and plenty of character. An example of how hutterreimann incorporate the existing surroundings and use the history of a place to form 68 | Issue 87 | May 2016
something new is their award-winning project of the Park am Löbauer Wasser (Löbau water park) in Saxony. Created for the 2012 horticultural show, the park was built on the grounds of a former sugar refinery. The project aims at revitalising the remains of both the old facilities and the surroundings and re-integrating the neglected area into the city structure. The site’s topography, the vast tree population and the river also played a
part in the creative puzzle which became a diverse and inspiring park landscape for all generations. Five old settling basins lining the river, formerly used for washing sugarcane, were converted into sunken water and play gardens. An imposing railway viaduct spanning over the valley inspired hutterreimann to think of the former settling tanks as Mediterranean water cisterns or even Roman baths and thus the magic of creativity sets in, bridging the gap and creating something new from the old. The rough concrete is visually met by steel covers on the rims, incorporating the industrial materials into the new vitalising leisurely atmosphere. Thereby, the old usage of the site is not negated but transformed.