Concept and Form: How do designers find the right form, what concepts do they follow? Next to ideas and inspiration the site conditions and constraints stand at the beginning of each project. They form the basis for landscape architects and designers to develop convincing concepts, which are manifested in formal, spatial structures. Topos 65 shows interesting concepts, innovative ideas and attractive designs with examples of built projects from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires, from Sydney to New York.
Promenade Samuel-De Champlain
The linear park along the banks of the St. Lawrence River connects the Canadian city of Quebec to the waterfront with a 21st-century landscape. Author: Vieira, Emmanuelle
Cairns Esplanade: Tale of Two Public Spaces
A swimming lagoon and a skate park are designed as key elements of the seaside redevelopment in the northern Australian city of Cairns. Together they put public recreation at the center of public life, redefining the site as an active waterfront. Author: White, Stephen, Wallis , Aaron
Erie Basin Park, New York City
A major retail development in Brooklyn’s former harbor area includes a waterfront park that references the site’s industrial history. Author: Cruz , Gonzalo
Memory Park in Buenos Aires
A new public park on the shores of the Río de la Plata remembers the victims of Argentina’s military dictatorships. It is not a place of solace and healing, but a jagged scar laid open on the landscape. Author: Davis , Brian
Dragon Lake Bridge Park
The urban and ecological restoration of Dragon Lake supports the economic growth of the medium-sized city Bengbu in China, while simultaneously assisting the recovery of the surrounding natural environment. Dragon Lake Bridge Park forms the corner stone of the urban rejuvenation. Author: Kehrer, Jutta, Elsea, Daniel
From Concept to Park: Gazing at the River
Built on a peninsula of sand, the Swedish city of Karlstad’s Sandgrund Park offers a platform from which to gaze at the passing river through all the variations of the seasons. Before being built, the concept went through an extensive process of public display and consultations. Author: Andersson, Thorbjörn
Anglona Paleobotanical Park
The fossil finds of North Sardinia are conserved and displayed in the new Paleobotanical Park which enhances the tourist infrastructure and raises awareness of the area’s importance. Author: Maciocco, Giovanni
Flowing White Paths
The new Italian park is based on a theory reversing the traditional approach to design. A continuous earthwork responds to the users’ requirements and reduces the visual and spatial disorder of the suburban sprawl. Author: Zucchi, Cino
Dancing Concepts
The design for a shopping and entertainment district in Amsterdam relies on the fluid implementation of a set of principles. This approach embraces constant change, using that change as a design element. Author: Brands, Bart
Jacaranda Square in Sydney
Coloured brick walls with concrete seats, recycled brick paving, a bright canopy and native trees are combined with a large lawn to create a new community space in Sydney Olympic Park. The design of the square uses principles and elements assumed to define a successful public space. Author: Raxworthy, Julian
Plaza de la Luna in Madrid
A formerly utilitarian plaza becomes a living room for a marginal neighborhood in the heart of Spain’s capital city. The new topography of the space allows for spontaneous use, rather than mandating specific locations for specific activities. Author: Busche , Ben , Barbas, Isabel
Alaçati Windmills Square
The Windmills Square is part of a large-scale urban design and landscape project which aims to redefine the edge of the historic Turkish town of Alaçati with an urban square and a pedestrian promenade. The project reconsiders the relationship between the town fabric and the hilltop accommodating ancient windmills. Author: Kural , Ali
Creating Atmosphere: HafenCity Hamburg
HafenCity will cover 157 hectares upon completion. With the areas around the Sandtor and Grasbrook harbour basins in the west completed so far, a third of Hamburg’s new borough has already been completed. Author: Petrow, Constanze A.
The Urban Revival of the German Colony in Haifa, Israel
The rejuvenation of Ben Gurion Boulevard, the central axis of Haifa’s German Colony, served as the precedent for an interdisciplinary master plan for the entire city quarter. Author: Greenstein , Daphna , Har-Gil , Gil
Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration Center
Water is the primary theme of the renovation master plan for the Queens Botanical Garden, New York. The first phase includes the Visitor and Administration Center and adjacent gardens which were planned and designed as integrated spaces. Author: Hauber , Gerhard , Yocca, David J.
Landscape Architecture in Central America and the Caribbean
Landscape architects in the Central American and the Caribbean region suffer from isolation or have to deal with the presence of international firms to solve their national demands. The Central American and the Caribbean Landscape Association was founded to counteract this. Author: Jankilevich , Carlos
The Tanner Fountain, Harvard Campus, USA
The Tanner Fountain received the ASLA 2008 Landmark Award. The minimalist composition of stones and water on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, has stood the test of time. It remains a key example of the idea of landscape as art. Author: Simony, Christine
From Schoolyard to Public Open Space
The conversion of the former Nicolai schoolyard in Kolding, Denmark, into an urban open space and modern cultural complex was distinguished with the 5th Rosa Barba Award at the European Biennial of Landscape Architecture in Barcelona. Author: Jensen , Kristine
