Brombeermarmelade. Jam.

Thanks Till & Judith

Route Industrienatur

Translation in Progress...

Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, day 2

Gießhalle, home of many concerts during the year. While I was there, it was closed off, so I didn't get to see where the stage was.



Piazza Metallica


Here, different species have settled in most likely a similar soil. It seems like landscape architects could learn from this, that these species could make up sort of a palette to draw from, when making up a planting plan. Or at least this could inform a designer in a useful way. These are the plants which require no maintenance whatsoever, and obviously have a range of colour, texture, etc.




Scuba centre, however it was closed during my visit. It's too bad, I have been wanting to make use of my scuba license.





Heaps of old material are quite prevalent at the site, and plants have taken up residence where they can. These places are in the first stages of succession, so only true pioneer species can live here. For example, blackberry bushes are often seen in places such as this.




The sewage canal could not remain as it existed on the site, and is now underground. A new canal has taken the place of the old, but now flows with fresh rainwater, it is kept as straight as it was before, not more 'naturally' shaped.





Duisburg was a wonderful place for me, it is a place that gives me some hope for landscape architecture. Peter Latz, the main landscape architect, allowed the polluted soils to remain in place and be remediated through phytoremediation, and sequestered soils with high toxicity in the existing bunkers. These are now places where succession is taking place. I really enjoyed my time here, and the berries.

Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, day 1

At the heart of the park stands the former Meiderich Ironworks which were closed down in 1985. There is a free-climbing zond amongst the old bunkers. The old gasometer is now a water diving centre. It is also a venue for concerts, films, shows, and theatre. It was one of the largest projects of the IBA Emscher park project. Here is day 1.




I found a lunch spot, under this structure. It rained all day, which was a bit of a bummer, since I was already fighting off a cold. Either way, my lunch spot allowed me to listen to the rain attacking the metal structures around me, and other structures nearby.




Main entry way to the park. Tree plantings in very formal rows, which contrast to the informal nature of the built structures and the natural plants there.




There is sort of a main walkway, which is demarcated by these blue fences. It leads you across the canal and up over the small garden plots.



Looking down from the walkway, there are several of these different gardens, each has its own style.





There are many signs on the site, totally in German, but they depict things from the wildlife that now lives at the site to the processes of making coke.



Lookout from an old heap of slag, now it is the main lookout point at the park. It provides an excellent view of the park, and a look at the surroundings.



These last two photos are depicting some of my favourite things of Duisburg. The details. Wonderful details can be found all over the site, where new vs. old is depicted, or nature vs. industry, etc. The diversity of detail at the site helps to make it such a rich place.


Leading away from the main site, there are three roughly parallel walkways, two elevated, and the other ground level. These are coinciding with former railway lines leading away from the site. Beautiful arrays of wildflowers and blackberry plants have taken up residence here.



Super cool slide, there were 3 or 4 kids in there during this time, I think they were playing clog the slide.





Some of the old bunkers have been sealed off, and now are in different stages of natural development. They are inaccessible, but are very interesting from the catwalk above.


All over the site are plants like this that can somehow live in these places.